While the word summer, for many people living in the Arabian Peninsula, immediately means hot temperatures of above 40c with dry sunny days, it may not mean the same for some. In fact, there are places in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen where summer might mean something that is not really summer-like. In reality, parts of SE Oman, S and SW Saudi Arabia, and much of Yemen enjoy summers that are wet and pleasant. However, the summer of 2010 have so far brought more than their typical share of summer rain.
Starting with Oman, the city of Salalah, pictured above, (Thofar region, SE Oman) is by all means a summer wonder in Arabia. Salalah magically transforms into a paradise during summer as moist tropical air from the Arabian Sea engulfs the city with misty air, giving life to plants, wild life, and even desert itself. The region changes from a sandy brownish outlook to a green lush one due to daily drizzle/rain, giving rise to spectacular waterfalls and lakes with air temperatures in mid 20s.
While green Salalah is a regular event, other areas in Oman have become targets of irregular weather systems, mainly tropical cyclones. During late May, June, late September, October, and early November, tropical cyclones form in the Arabian Sea and sometimes affect Oman/Yemen. And in June 2010, Oman braced itself for a hit from Cyclone Phet, leaving the country with floods and more than 20 fatalities. It is a harsh reality for Oman, given that the two strongest tropical cyclones of the Arabian Sea (since records began), Gonu and Phet, hit them during the last 4 years. And those tropical cyclones have hit northern arid areas of Oman. Is it a new trend? Maybe. It is important to keep in mind that Oman occasinally gets hit by tropical cyclones, but usually they are weaker and more to the south.
Phet approaching Oman
Yemen, which enjoys a thundery wet summer due to tropical moisture with pleasant temperatures, also had to contend with a rare hit from tropical storm Bandu in late May 2010, which resulted in heavy rains and property damage. It proved to be an early wet start to their normally wet monsoon, which peaks in July and August, resulting in daily thunderstorms over much of hilly/mountaineous Yemen. However, monsoon rain in Yemen in 2010 have also been so far above average. There have been more than 50 fatalities in Yemen due to floods.
Southern Saudi Arabia also enjoys a wet thundery summer, similar to Yemen, due to mountaineous areas and tropical moisture during the summer months. These thunderstorms have been stronger and wetter than normal, which resulted in more than 15 fatalities so far this year.
While those areas enjoy a contrasting summer than other countries in the Arabian Peninsula, the rest contine to swelter under extreme heat and harsh weather conditions. The below image shows rainfall in Arabia during the last 30 days, in mm per day. It is very clear how wet parts of Oman, S Saudi Arabia, and Yemen were.
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