Saudi Arabia » Weather

Extreme heat and aridity are characteristic of most of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the few places in the world where summer temperatures above 50° C (120 °F) are common, while in winter frost or snow can occur in the interior and the higher mountains, although this does not occur annually. The average winter temperature range is 8° to 20°C (47° to 68 °F) in January in interior cities such as Riyadh and 19° to 29 °C (66° to 83 °F) in Jeddah on the Red Sea coast.

The average summer range in July is 27° to 43°C (81° to 109°F) in Riyadh and 27° to 38 °C (80° to 100 °F) in Jeddah. Nighttimes temperatures in the mid desert can be famously chilly even in summer, as sand gives up daytime heat rapidly once the sun has set. Annual precipitation is usually sparse (up to 100 millimetres (4 in) in most regions), although sudden downpours can lead to violent flash floods in wadis.

Annual rainfall in Riyadh averages 100 mm (4 in) and falls almost exclusively between January and May; the average in Jeddah is 54 mm (2.1 in) and occurs between November and January. Plants can still survive in Saudi Arabia, mostly in the south-east Mountains and lowlands. They bloom mid-March through mid-May. The plants provide food for birds and insects.