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Climate - Yemen


Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine

Flag - Yemen

Map - Yemen

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In Yemen, a West Asian country located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, the climate is tropical desert on the coasts and in the lowlands, while it is mild and moderately rainy on the western plateau. During summer, from June to September, the southwest monsoon brings some rainfall on the western highlands, while in the rest of the country, it brings widespread cloudiness but practically no rain.

Index


  • Red Sea coast - Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla
  • Southern Coast
  • Socotra
  • The plateau - Sana'a

Red Sea coast



The coast of the Red Sea (called Tihamah) has a desert climate, hot all year round, with highs around 28/30 °C (82/86 °F) in winter and 38/40 °C (100/104 °F) in summer. In summer, the humidity from the sea makes the heat sweltering.

Al Hudaydah

In Al Hudaydah, only 80 millimeters (3 inches) of rain fall per year. Despite the few rains, in this region, unhealthy and malarial areas are found because of rivers that descend from the mountains and feed wetlands.
Here are the average temperatures.
Al Hudaydah - Average temperatures (1992-2017)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January212925.1708477.2
February232925.8738478.5
March243027758680.7
April273329.7809185.4
May293531.6849489
June303532.6869690.6
July303633.2869791.7
August293632.5849790.5
September293532839689.6
October263429.9799385.7
November243227.7758981.9
December212925.4708577.7
Year2632.829.3578.89185

The amount of sunshine, good all year round, decreases a bit in summer because of the cloudiness brought by the southwest monsoon. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Al Hudaydah - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January8250
February8.5235
March9280
April10300
May10.5330
June9.5280
July7.5225
August8250
September9.5280
October10315
November10295
December9275
Year9.13315

The Red Sea is warm enough for swimming all year round, and becomes very warm in summer, as you can see in the following table.
Al Hudaydah - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January2678
February2678
March2680
April2882
May3086
June3188
July3289
August3289
September3290
October3188
November2883
December2680
Year2984.3

The islands of the Red Sea (Hanish, Kamaran, Perim) are desert as well, hot in winter and stifling in summer.

Southern Coast



The coast of the Gulf of Aden has a similar climate, but it's a bit less hot during summer, especially in the central and eastern part, and this happens because of the southwest monsoon, which is felt more, and brings more often cloudy skies.

Al Mukalla

As a result, in Aden, in the southern part of the coast, the daytime temperature in June and July is about 37 °C (99 °F), and in August and September, it's about 36 °C (97 °F), while in Al Mukalla, more to the northeast and more exposed to the summer monsoon, it reaches "only" 33/34 °C (91/93 °F) in June and July, with a steady breeze and the sky often cloudy, even though the rains remain sporadic. Here are the average temperatures in Al Mukalla.
Al Mukalla - Average temperatures (1992-2015)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January202824688275.1
February212824.4698375.9
March223025.6718578.2
April233127738880.6
May253328.7769183.6
June253429.8789485.7
July243328.6759283.5
August253329779284.2
September263229.3799084.7
October243127.4758881.4
November213025.8718778.5
December212924.7698476.5
Year2331.12773.48880.5

However, the rains are still very scarce, even though, in July and August, there can be drizzle which does not fall into the statistics (because, in practice, there is no accumulation). Here is the rainfall in Al Mukalla.
Al Mukalla - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January70.31
February30.11
March120.51
April120.51
May40.20
June100
July40.21
August40.21
September100
October100
November30.11
December50.21
Year552.28

Here are the sunshine hours in Al Mukalla.
Al Mukalla - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January9275
February9250
March9.5290
April10305
May11335
June8.5260
July5.5165
August5.5175
September8.5250
October10.5320
November10305
December9.5295
Year8.93230

The sea temperature in the Gulf of Aden is similar to that of the Red Sea, although it's a bit less warm in summer on account of both the wind and the cloudiness brought by the monsoon.
Al Mukalla - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January2678
February2678
March2780
April2883
May3086
June3187
July3085
August2985
September3086
October2984
November2781
December2680
Year28.282.8

Socotra



The island of Socotra, which is located between the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, has a tropical desert climate, hot all year round, with daytime temperatures around 28/29 °C (82/84 °F) in winter, which rise to 34 °C (93 °F) in May and June, and drop again slightly in summer because of the monsoon.
Socotra - Average temperatures (1992-2017)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January222824.8728276.7
February222825718377
March233026.2738679.2
April243228.3769082.9
May273430.4809486.7
June273430.4809386.7
July263329.4799184.9
August263229.3799084.7
September263329.4799184.9
October243127.9768882.1
November243026.9748680.4
December232925.8738478.4
Year24.531.227.757688.182

In Socotra, the rains are very scarce, at least in the lowlands, while the slopes of Mount Hajhir are greener, and are home to xerophile vegetation, which is able to withstand the drought. However, from June to September, the island is affected by cloudiness brought by the south-west monsoon, it can receive a few showers, and is often windy.
In the first months of the northeast Asian monsoon, from October to December, some brief showers can occur, while on mainland it is normally dry.
Here is the average precipitation.
Socotra - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January40.22
February001
March000
April000
May130.52
June000
July000
August000
September001
October2513
November451.84
December200.83
Year1054.117

In Socotra, the sky is often cloudy from mid-June to mid-September, while the sun shines in the rest of the year.
Socotra - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January9.5290
February9.5265
March10305
April10305
May10.5330
June7.5230
July4120
August4120
September7.5225
October10315
November10.5310
December10305
Year8.63130

The Arabian Sea in Socotra is warm enough for swimming all year round as well, but in summer, it's not warmer than in winter because of the wind brought by the monsoon, which lowers a bit the temperature; this also applies to the eastern coast of the mainland (see Al Ghaydan).
Socotra - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January2679
February2679
March2781
April2984
May3086
June2882
July2679
August2577
September2679
October2781
November2781
December2679
Year26.980.5

Socotra Island

The plateau



The western plateau has a mild climate because of the high altitude, but also because it receives moderate rainfall from the summer monsoon. In Taiz, 760 mm (30 in) of rain fall per year, and in Ibb, up to 1,000 mm (40 inches). The landscape is green in the south-west facing slopes, and with the terrace system, cultivation is possible even on steep terrains. On the highest peaks, above 3,000 meters (9,800 ft), during winter, it can sometimes snow.

Sana'a

The capital, Sana'a, is located at 2,200 meters (7,200 ft) above sea level. Winter is pleasantly warm and sunny during the day, but the temperature at night drops quite a bit, sometimes down to 0 °C (32 °F), especially in December and January. During summer, the temperature is warm: the daily average is about 23 °C (73.5 °F); sometimes, a few downpours or thunderstorms can occur.
Sanaa - Average temperatures (2006-2013)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January62415.1437559.2
February82616.6467861.9
March102718.3508064.9
April132720558167.9
May142921.5588370.7
June163023618673.5
July173023.4628674.1
August162922.4618472.4
September142821578269.8
October102517.3497763.1
November82415.6467560.2
December52314.2417457.6
Year11.326.81952.480.266

Sana'a is located on the eastern side of the plateau, the one that receives less rainfall, and in particular, it's protected by Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb, the highest mountain in Yemen, 3,666 meters (12,028 feet) high. However, in Sana'a, 240 mm (9.5 in) of rain fall per year, concentrated from July to September, with a maximum in August of 95 mm (3.7 in): precipitation is therefore typical of a semi-desert climate. A bit of rainfall may actually occur also in spring, from March to May, here as in the rest of the plateau. Here is the average precipitation.
Sanaa - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January100
February90.42
March70.31
April351.43
May130.52
June30.11
July451.83
August953.76
September301.22
October100
November100
December100
Year2409.520

In Sana'a, the sun shines all year round, but the hours of sunshine diminish a bit in July and August.
Sanaa - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January8.5260
February8.5235
March8.5265
April9270
May9.5300
June8.5260
July6.5200
August7215
September8.5260
October10305
November9.5290
December9280
Year8.63135

Sana

The central-eastern part of Yemen (formerly South Yemen) is occupied by a coastal range, and in the interior, by a plateau which declines from 1,000 to 400 meters (3,300 to 1,300 feet) from west to east, on the border with Oman; this is a desert area, although some rain in summer is possible along the coastal range.
Here are the average temperatures in Sayun (or Seiyun), located at 650 meters (2,100 feet) above sea level.
Sayun - Average temperatures (1992-2017)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January122719.9548167.9
February153123.1608773.5
March183426.1649378.9
April223729.6729985.2
May254032.27710390.1
June2642347910793.3
July294235.38410795.6
August284134.48210694
September253932.37710390.1
October193527679480.6
November173124.2638875.6
December142921.2578370.1
Year2135.628.2569.796.283

In the far north, along the border with Saudi Arabia, there is also a lowland area occupied by the southern tip of the Rub 'al Khali, the sand desert of southern Arabia. Here, summer is very hot, with highs steadily above 40 °C (104 °F), but a bit of cloudiness brought by the summer monsoon can affect these parts too.

Tropical cyclones



Every now and then, Yemen can be reached by tropical cyclones, which bring strong winds and heavy rainfall (which can cause flash floods in desert areas, which are not able to absorb water). For example, this happened with Cyclone Chapala in early November 2015 and with Cyclone Megh in the following days, with Deep Depression ARB 02 in October 2008, with the June 1996 cyclone, and with Cyclone Mekunu in May 2018.
Cyclones form from May to December, and are more frequent at the beginning of the period (May-June) and at the end (October-December). The most affected areas are the island of Socotra, directly exposed in the open sea, and the central-eastern part of the coast, towards the border with Oman, which is hit more easily. On the other hand, once cyclones enter the Gulf of Aden, they tend to weaken, so the western part of the country is more protected.

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