Best time of year to Travel to the Middle East

The Middle East is touched by the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, and the Red, Black, and Arabian seas but is arid to semiarid desert with mountain weather patterns. Although climate change varies by region, the spring and fall are the most wonderful times of the year to go, when the weather is mild. Summers can be scorching, especially in the desert, and winters can be freezing, particularly in mountains.
In the northern part of the Middles East, in the Iran and Iraq area, the middle of April to September , and late September to early November are periods to avoid as the weather is extreme. Summer is also expensive and winter is a time when one can bargain but it is cold with temperatures within range of 11 degrees Celsius. Ramadan, the Muslim time of fasting, is not a time to visit Middle East as restaurants are closed during the day.
The Saudi Arabian region of the Middle East is best visited between November and February when the summer heat is spent. The The middle of April to October time of year brings sweltering heat and humidity in the coastal regions. The southern part of Middle East is best visited between November and the middle of March, with cool mountain air and pleasant daytime temperatures averaging 25 degrees Celsius. The Middle East is a good place at good times but one must to watch the political situation when trying to work out a vacation and avoid disturbed areas.

Climate of the Middle East

The Middle East, the birthplace of the three major religions and civilization, has always been a dry place. The basic climate of the Middle East is sweltering and dry, with winters that are mild and bring a little precipitation. To the north of the desert lie the great steppes. This area is known for extreme temperature and precipitation in winter and spring. The rest of the area has precipitation between March and November, which can cause serious flooding during March and May. Summers are long and sweltering but winters remain calm and wet along the Mediterranean coast. There is a steady breeze along the coast to compensate for the humidity.
Precipitation and temperature vary considerably across the Middle East and even within nations. The Caspian Sea coast of northern Iran receives up to two thousand millimetres of precipitation a year, while the desert regions of Iran often receives no precipitation at all for many years. Temperatures also vary by region. Ankara in the central plateau region of Turkey averages 32 degrees Fahrenheit in January and 73 degrees Fahrenheit in July.
Coastal regions of the low Arabian Peninsula in Jordan and in Iraq, and those bordering the Mediterranean Sea, have higher and more baseline winter temperatures. Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia averages 75 degrees Fahrenheit in January and 89 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Lowland desert areas in the interior regions of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq, and Egypt have extreme heat in the summer, with temperatures sometimes reaching 77 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Across the Middle East, the summer month temperatures are usually around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, but often rise above one hundred. In Baghdad, the record high is one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit. In Basra, the climate can reach a staggering one hundred and twenty-four degrees Fahrenheit; the highest temperatures recorded in any major the Middle Eastern city. In the Saudi desert, however, temperatures over one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit are common. Most storms crossing the Middle East become dust- or sandstorms when strong winds whip the dry desert surface, resulting in as many as thirty-eight storms occur annually.
The impact of global warming, which is expected to bring rise in temperatures between 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit and seven degrees Fahrenheit, melt ice caps and submerge coastal areas will force those living in the Middle East to move inland, and face even more scorching summers. It is likely to affect the oil production and have far-reaching impact on the Middle East economy.

Israel

The most wonderful time to travel to Israel is in the spring season in April and May, or autumn in the months of September and October, when the overall temperature is very comfortable. November and March are similar, however. They do see some precipitation, particularly in the coastal areas and in the north. Winter generally lasts from the middle of November to the middle of March and heavy showers along the coastline can turn this time into a shockingly frigid season. Summertime heat can be brutal in the far south. In Tel Aviv, the humidity makes people sweat when only standing in the shade. This is a wonderful time to travel to Jerusalem or some of the highland regions whose humidity does not come close to that of the coastal areas. The summer months are also the busiest time of year for tourists – hotel prices are at their highest and proper accommodations can e hard to come by. Major Jewish holidays are notable dates to avoid, since this is when accommodation prices go up and it is almost impossible to travel between cities.

Jordan

While the climate can differ significantly from the north to south, the most enjoyable times of the year of the year are spring season from March through May and fall, which lasts from October through about the end of November.
Jordan is lush with greenery during spring, which also is high time of year for Western travellers. Peak time of year for Arab travellers is usually during the summer months of July and August.
While the summer months can be sweltering and dry, this is still a tolerable time of year to visit. Even in the summer, evenings in the desert can be cool. Throughout the wintry months of December through March, particularly cold and blustery winds will pelt the valleys and deserts of Jordan, causing frigid snow and sleet in many areas.
Aqaba and the Jordan Valley are ideal places to tour all through winter, with temperatures averaging 16 to 22 degrees Celsius (61 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit) between November and April. Strong desert winds with additional sand from the Arabian interior are particularly common some of the days in May.

Lebanon

Although it is a smaller country, Lebanon lies on the eastern side of the Mediterranean, which lends to it numerous different climate conditions. In fact, the weather in Lebanon is widely known for its extremes, reaching extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter. The most wonderful times to travel to Lebanon are the fall and spring.
The many mountainous parts of Lebanon and the climate conditions there are normally chillier than other parts of the countryside. Lebanon also has quite a few skiing areas and ski time of year normally runs from November through March.

Saudi Arabia

The perfect time to travel to Saudi Arabia is sometime between November and February when the summer months heat wave is over. The climate conditions are much milder in the mountains and around Taif all year round, which makes these places a popular summer month destination. The Asir Mountains find their best season earlier and a little later than the rest of the country. The Kingdom’s Islamic holidays are something for which to watch out when deciding when to tour Saudi Arabia. Obtaining a meal during these times can be a great struggle, since most restaurants and businesses keep strict hours if they are open at all, and officials can be very standoffish.

United Arab Emerits

From May to September, the humidity is extremely high and daytime temperatures frequently top forty degrees Celsius (ten5 degrees Fahrenheit) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In the eastern coastal cities of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, the climate is somewhat less harsh due to the occasional gentle wind. Average daily highs fall to the more relaxing 22 to thirty degrees Celsius (seventy to 85 degrees Fahrenheit) range the rest of the year, with December and January being the most comfortable months, despite the fact that it can be extremely windy in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah and incredibly cold in the desert areas around Al-Ain. Precipitation is non-existent between May and October, and insignificant for much of the rest of the year.

Egypt

In Egypt, any location that is south of Cairo during the summer months is devastatingly hot, and can reach temperatures of forty degrees Celsius (one hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit). In Cairo itself, all of the overwhelming heat, dust, noise and crowds can make walking and sightseeing a very unpleasant experience. Then again, if the sweltering sun is precisely what the vacationer came to find, planning should be centred around a week or two of lounging on the beaches of southern Sinai or the Alexandrian coast. The accommodations are a matter of contest, however.
When visiting somewhere such as Luxor, winter is by far the most comfortable time. Cairo is not quite as pleasing, with cloudy skies and cold evenings, and its location on the Mediterranean coast means that Alexandria is known for regular thunderstorms resulting in flooded, muddy streets. Even Sinai’s shores are too chilly for sunbathing in January. The months of March or September are the greatest times to enjoy the warm days without the crush of humanity on the Beach.

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