, hot even in winter, from December to February, and very hot in the rest of the year, with a daily average above 30 °C (86 °F) from May to October.
The city is located in the west of Saudi Arabia, on the coast of the Red Sea, at 21 degrees north latitude, and is the largest city of the western province of the country, called
. To the east lies a mountain range parallel to the coast. About 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the south-east is Mecca.
The rains, which are very scarce, almost all fall from November to March. Every now and then, there may be a thundestorm more intense than usual, which can even cause a flash flood.
The sun shines all year round, however, both in winter and summer, some cloud banks may pass through.
, a bit of cool air can sometimes arrive from the north, which can lower the night temperature to around 15 °C (59 °F). In the winter of 1992, characterized by repeated cold waves in the Middle East, the temperature dropped to 11 °C (52 °F) in January and 10 °C (50 °F) in February.
, the combination of heat and humidity from the sea makes the heat very uncomfortable. However, the hottest days are those in which the wind blows from the interior, which can also raise sand storms, and in these cases the humidity decreases significantly. In the worst moments, the temperature can reach 47/48 °C (117/118 °F), and occasionally more. At the end of May 2004, it reached 49 °C (120 °F), while in late June 2010, it even reached 52 °C (125.5 °F), which represents the record heat for all of Saudi Arabia.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coolest month of the year, is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
23.7 °C, with a minimum of
18.6 °C and a maximum of
28.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
14 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33 °C.
Precipitation amounts to
11.1 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 58%.
The average wind speed is of
13.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
26.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
February is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
24.3 °C, with a minimum of
18.9 °C and a maximum of
29.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
3.2 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 77% of the time.
The average humidity is 57%.
The average wind speed is of
14.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
25.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
March is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
25.8 °C, with a minimum of
20 °C and a maximum of
31.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
16 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
37 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
2.5 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 79% of the time.
The average humidity is 56%.
The average wind speed is of
14.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
25.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
April is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
28.6 °C, with a minimum of
22.6 °C and a maximum of
34.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
17.5 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
40 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
2.4 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 11 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 86% of the time.
The average humidity is 53%.
The average wind speed is of
13.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
27 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
May is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
31.1 °C, with a minimum of
24.9 °C and a maximum of
37.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
20.5 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
43.5 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
0.2 mm, distributed over 0 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 12 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 90% of the time.
The average humidity is 52%.
The average wind speed is of
13.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
28.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
June is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
32 °C, with a minimum of
25.7 °C and a maximum of
38.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
23 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
44.5 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
0 mm, so on average it never rains in the whole month.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 11.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 84% of the time.
The average humidity is 53%.
The average wind speed is of
14.3 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
29.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
July is generally a scorchingly hot month. The average temperature is of
33.4 °C, with a minimum of
27.4 °C and a maximum of
39.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
24.5 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
43 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
0.2 mm, distributed over 0 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 78% of the time.
The average humidity is 49%.
The average wind speed is of
13.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
30.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
August, the hottest month of the year, is generally a scorchingly hot month. The average temperature is of
33.6 °C, with a minimum of
28.5 °C and a maximum of
38.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
25.5 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
42.5 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
0.5 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 50 minutes.
There are on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 83% of the time.
The average humidity is 56%.
The average wind speed is of
13.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
31.1 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
September is generally a scorchingly hot month. The average temperature is of
32.3 °C, with a minimum of
27.2 °C and a maximum of
37.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
24 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
42 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
0.1 mm, distributed over 0 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 11 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 89% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
12.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
30.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
October is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
30.8 °C, with a minimum of
24.9 °C and a maximum of
36.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
22 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
41.5 °C.
Precipitation amounts to only
1 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 92% of the time.
The average humidity is 63%.
The average wind speed is of
10.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
30.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
November is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
28.1 °C, with a minimum of
22.8 °C and a maximum of
33.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
19.5 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
37.5 °C.
Precipitation amounts to
23 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 8.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 78% of the time.
The average humidity is 61%.
The average wind speed is of
11.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
29.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
December is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
25.6 °C, with a minimum of
20.5 °C and a maximum of
30.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
16.5 °C.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
34.5 °C.
Precipitation amounts to
11.4 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 50 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 69% of the time.
The average humidity is 59%.
The average wind speed is of
12.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
27.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.