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Climate - Israel


Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine

Flag - Israel

Map - Israel

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Israel, a small country in western Asia, facing the Mediterranean to the west and the Red Sea to the south, has a Mediterranean climate on the west coast, temperate in the hills of the interior, and desert in the flat areas of the east and the south.
The climate in Israel is characterized by hot, sunny summers and by a long period of sunshine, with clear skies from May to September. The rains (where they occur) are concentrated from November to March.

Index


  • Mediterranean coast - Tel Aviv
  • Inland areas - Jerusalem, Tiberias
  • South - Eilat

Mediterranean coast


Along the west coast (see Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya), the climate is Mediterranean, with very mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers, during which the air is humid but tempered the breeze.

Tel Aviv

In Tel Aviv, the average temperature ranges from 13 °C (56 °F) in January to about 28 °C (82.5 °F) in July and August.
Winter is very mild, but sometimes there can be periods a bit cold and windy. In February 1992, there was a day with a maximum of 7 °C (44.5 °F). In January 2008, the temperature dropped to 0 °C (32 °F).
Heat waves can occur especially in the period from April to June, when the wind from the Egyptian desert can raise the temperature to around 40 °C (104 °F) even on the coast.
Here are the average temperatures at Ben-Gurion airport.
Tel Aviv - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January81813.3476556
February91914.1486757.4
March112216.4517261.5
April132619.5567867.1
May172922.9628473.2
June203125.6698878.1
July233227.6739081.7
August243328.1749182.7
September223226.8728980.3
October193024.2668575.5
November142519.6577767.3
December102015.3506959.5
Year15.926.521.160.679.670

Rainfall, concentrated in the winter months, amounts to around 580 millimeters (23 inches) per annum, and it is quite abundant from December to February. Here is the average precipitation.
Tel Aviv - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January1455.713
February1104.311
March602.48
April150.62
May40.21
June000
July000
August000
September100
October351.44
November803.17
December1254.910
Year5852356

The sun in Tel Aviv often shines even in winter, except for the periods of bad weather, while in the long dry season, the sky is normally clear. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Tel Aviv - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January6190
February7200
March7.5235
April9270
May10.5330
June12355
July12370
August11.5355
September10300
October9280
November8235
December6190
Year9.13310

On the Mediterranean coast, the sea is warm enough for swimming from June to November.
Tel Aviv - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January1865
February1864
March1864
April1966
May2170
June2476
July2780
August2883
September2882
October2679
November2374
December2069
Year22.672.6

Inland areas



In the interior, the climate is more arid, but also more continental, due to the greater distance from the sea as well as the altitude. Jerusalem is located at 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, Bethlehem, in the West Bank, at almost 800 meters (2,600 feet), while Nazareth is located at a lower altitude, around 300/500 meters (1,000/1,600 feet).
In these inland areas, winter is still fairly mild, but there can be intrusions of cold air masses from Russiam which can even bring snow in January and February (and sometimes also in early March), usually above 600 meters (2,000 feet).
During summer, the air in this area is dry, and the heat is usually tolerable, but the sun hits hard; moreover, hot air masses from the Egyptian desert can sometimes bring some days with scorching heat even here.
The highest peak in Israel is Mount Meron, 1,208 meters (3,963 feet) high, located in the north, in the Upper Galilee. However, outside of the Israeli territory (in the Golan Heights) we find Mount Hermon, on the border between Syria and Lebanon but controlled by Israel, which reaches 2,814 mt (9,232 ft).

Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, the average temperature ranges from 9.5 °C (49 °F) in January to 25 °C (77 °F) in August. Normally the climate is mild, however, in winter there can be cold spells with snow, while in summer, the temperature can reach 38/39 °C (100/102 °F) when the wind blows from the desert.
Here are the average temperatures.
Jerusalem - Average temperatures (1991-2017)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January7129.4445449
February71310445649.9
March91612.7486254.9
April122217547162.7
May162620.6607869.1
June182823648273.4
July202924.5678576
August203024.8688576.6
September192823.5668374.4
October172521627769.8
November121915.9546760.6
December91411.5475852.7
Year13.82217.8556.871.564

Annual precipitation is around 550 mm (21.5 in), concentrated in the cold half of the year, while it almost never rains from May to mid-October. Here is the average precipitation.
Jerusalem - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January1355.312
February1204.712
March953.79
April2514
May30.11
June000
July000
August000
September000
October150.63
November602.47
December1054.111
Year55521.959

In Jerusalem too, the sun frequently shines in winter, while it almost always shines from May to September, when clear skies are the norm.
Jerusalem - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January6195
February7200
March7.5225
April9265
May10.5330
June12.5380
July12.5385
August12365
September10.5310
October9275
November7.5230
December6190
Year9.23350

Jerusalem

Further to the east, in the Jordan valley, where the altitude goes even below sea level (from Lake Tiberias to the Dead Sea), winter is mild, but summer is definitely hot.

Tiberias

Here are the average temperatures in Tiberias, on the shores of the lake of the same name (or Sea of Galilee).
Tiberias - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January81712.6476354.8
February81813.4476556.1
March102216507160.8
April132720.1568168.2
May163224628975.2
June203527.2689481
July223629.2729784.6
August233629.5739785.1
September213527.8709482
October183024.2658775.6
November142418.8567565.8
December101914.3506657.7
Year15.327.621.459.681.770.5

In Tiberias, an average of 435 millimeters (17 inches) of rain falls each year, concentrated, as usual, in the winter months.
Tiberias - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January1054.112
February903.510
March552.28
April200.83
May50.21
June000
July000
August000
September100
October150.63
November5026
December953.710
Year43517.253

Continuing south and heading towards the Dead Sea, precipitation becomes scarcer, and the landscape, apart from the areas where the river's waters are used to irrigate fields, is semi-desert.

South



Further to the south, in the areas bordering the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea, we find the Negev Desert, which has mild winters and very hot summers.

Eilat

In winter, Eilat is the mildest city in Israel, however, at night it can get a little cold, with lows of around 5 °C (41 °F). In January 2008, the temperature dropped to 2 °C (35.5 °F). The average maximum in July and August is 40/41 °C (104/105 °F), but it can sometimes exceed 45 °C (113 °F). So, unlike on the Mediterranean coast, summer is not the best time for a beach holiday on the Red Sea Coast.
Eilat - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January102115.9517160.6
February122317.6537463.6
March152720.9598069.5
April183225658977
May233629.3739784.8
June253932.37710390.2
July2741348110593.2
August2741348110593.2
September263831.77810089
October223427.9729382.3
November172822.4628372.2
December122317.5537463.5
Year19.53225.767.189.578

In Eilat, the rainfall is very poor, since it doesn't even reach 50 millimeters (2 inches) per year.
Eilat - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January40.12
February30.12
March30.11
April20.11
May101
June000
July000
August000
September000
October40.11
November20.11
December50.22
Year200.99

In Eilat, the sun shines regularly throughout the year, but some cloud banks can occasionally reach the area even in summer.
Eilat - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January7.5230
February8.5235
March8250
April9275
May10.5320
June11325
July11345
August11345
September9.5290
October9280
November8245
December7215
Year9.23365

Near Eilat, the Red Sea is a bit cool for swimming in winter, while it is pleasantly warm in the summer months.
Eilat - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January2170
February2069
March2169
April2271
May2475
June2678
July2781
August2883
September2882
October2780
November2577
December2373
Year24.375.7

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