Gaza weather is of the hot, dry Mediterranean type. The area enjoys mild winters and dry, hot summers that are subject to drought. The arid desert climate of Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula along with the Mediterranean sea, are an imposing influence in the patterns of Gaza weather. Another determining factor of the type of weather found in the Gaza strip is its geographical position and its size. Covering a rather small area of only 360 sq. km, Gaza sits entirely on a coastal plain with low, rolling hills in the east and dunes in the west, thus experiences little regional variation in weather.
Again, because of the area’s geographical position Gaza weather is divided into only two seasons: there’s a dry season that runs April till October, and a wet season that commences in November and ends in May.
During the long dry season weather in Gaza becomes increasingly hot with long spouts of drought and little rain. What ever little rainfall the area experiences during the dry season happens during its earlier parts as between May and September Gaza is almost exclusively rain-free and dry. May and October are by far the most bearable month’s heat wise, averaging temperatures in the high 20s. During the rest of the dry season heat reach scorching proportions, registering temperatures well above 30°C. Nights are thankfully cooler staying around the 20°C mark, but during the day clouds disappear completely from the sky, leaving the sun to reign supreme, especially from June till August when its merciless beat on the area can last up to twelve hours per day.
Humidity also marks high amongst Gaza weather problems during the long dry season. Thanks to the influence of high heat on the cooler Mediterranean waters humidity reaches uncomfortable levels, the problem becoming a lot more pronounced during nigh time, when it can go up all the way to ninety percent. The early months of the dry season are also marred by violent sandstorms. Causing surface erosion and reducing visibility, these sandstorms not only completely paralyze Gaza’s transportation system but also sting terribly especially in the eyes.
In sharp contrast, the wet season enjoys a considerably milder weather with cold nights and often ferocious winds. Rainfall becomes considerably more frequent, comes in the form of short but heavy storms easing off in early January. Another distinguished feature of Gaza weather during its wet season is the frequent visits of brief yet intense storms often reaching speeds of up to 60 knots, causing the occasional flash flood. At the beginning of the season average high temperature is around 20°C eventually cooling of to an annual low of 18°C in January. Nights are considerably colder, usually by ten degrees in comparison to the day, with temperatures falling even lower when wind chill penetrates the usual weather patterns. Since the sun’s rays dominate the sky for only seven hours per day on average, the atmosphere tends to get hazy and overcast.
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