Paula Kouki
| The Petra region belongs to the
semi-aridic Mediterranean climatic regime. The summers are hot and dry,
the winters are cool and rainy. The hottest month in summer is August
with the average temperature of +29.6° C (ca. 85° F). The
coldest month is January with the mean temperature of +4.3° C
(ca. 40° F). The large variation in elevation from the bottom of
the Wadi 'Arabah up to the eastern highlands influences the climatic
conditions in the Petra region. The mean annual rainfall in the floor
of the Wadi 'Arabah is only ca. 50 mm, while Petra receives almost
four-fold that amount, nearly 200 mm. The amount of rainfall is,
however, highly variable from year to year. In the high elevations
winters are colder, and snow is not an uncommon sight in Petra. The
temperature changes between day- and nighttime are also considerable,
particularly on the mountains like Jabal Harûn, where the heat of
the day may change to a cool and moist night even in August. Home page of the Meteorology Department of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |