Climatology
This page presents Qatar's climate context for the current climatology, 1991-2020, derived from observed, historical data. Information should be used to build a strong understanding of current climate conditions in order to appreciate future climate scenarios and projected change. You can visualize data for the current climatology through spatial variation, the seasonal cycle, or as a time series. Analysis is available for both annual and seasonal data. Data presentation defaults to national-scale aggregation, however sub-national data aggregations can be accessed by clicking within a country, on a sub-national unit. Other historical climatologies can be selected from the Time Period dropdown list.
Observed, historical data is produced by the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of University of East Anglia. Data is presented at a 0.5º x 0.5º (50km x 50km) resolution.
Qatar has a desert climate. The country experiences long summers from May to September characterized by intense dry heat, with temperatures rising above 45°C. Winter temperatures are mild but may fall below 5°C. Rainfall is only experienced during the winter with the northern parts of the country receiving 30% more rainfall than the south. Qatar is impacted by Shamal winds, which cause sand and dust storms throughout the year.