- Increase in rainfall compared to last years.
- December is the rainiest in 2015 at Doha International Airport Station.
- Eight-hour average of sunshine in winter, and ten hours in summer at Doha International Airport in 2015.
The Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics released a press release on the occasion of the World Meteorological Day which falls on March 23 each year. It is celebrated by the World Meteorological Organization, its members and the worldwide meteorological community. The Day commemorates the entry into force, on that date in 1950, of the convention creating the WMO. The theme for 2016 is “Hotter, Drier, Wetter. Face the Future”.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, in collaboration with the Civil Aviation General Authority – Meteorological Department, released the chapter of meteorological statistics within the Annual Statistical Abstract. The chief meteorological phenomena in 2015 are:
- Increase in rainfall compared to previous years.
Meteorological statistics show an increase in the rainfall ratios vis-à-vis the previous years. The highest annual rainfall accounted for 114.5 mm in the gauge station of Doha International Airport, whereas it was very little in al-Karaana station with only 37.5 mm in 2015. It is noteworthy that the rise in rainfall at Doha International Airport was steady in this station compared to the previous years.
- December is the rainiest in 2015 at Doha International Airport.
Rainfall statistics at Doha International Airport indicate that December was the rainiest in 2015 vis-à-vis the rainy months (November to May). 51.3 mm of rain recorded in December, followed by 34.2 mm and 20.2 mm in March and November respectively.
- Temperatures and relative humidity average(maximum)
Statistics on average maximum temperatures for 2015, according to weather monitoring stations, show that it varied from 36.7o in al-Karaana Station to 30.3 in al-Ruwais Station. In addition, statistics indicate that the number of days when temperatures soared over 45o in 2015 was 15 days, eight of which took place in July only. Average relative humidity ranged from 35.8% in al-Karaana Station, and 67.9% in al-Ruwais Station as shown in the table below.
Table: weather components by weather monitoring stations 2015| Station | Rainfall (mm) | Average temperature (o) | Average relative humidity (%) | Sunshine hours per year | Average max. wind speed (Kn) | Average max. atmospheric pressure (Hectopascal) |
| Al-Karaana | 37.5 | 36.7 | 35.8 | 306.1 | 36.8 | 1014.4 |
| Doha Airport | 114.5 | 33.7 | 51.7 | 281.5 | 30.3 | 1016.1 |
| Dukhan | 72.1 | 31.9 | 59.2 | 238.5 | 37.7 | 1016.5 |
| Al-Ruwais | 82.5 | 30.3 | 67.9 | 289.2 | 32.8 | 1016.4 |
| Mesaeed | 95.4 | 33.8 | 54.1 | 280.8 | 35.0 | 1015.8 |
The figure below indicates the average minimum and maximum temperatures in July at Doha International Airport Station, where the highest maximum temperatures (47o ) took place in 2014, whereas the highest minimum temperatures (33.9o) registered in 2013.
- Eight-hour average of sunshine in winter, and ten hours in summer at Doha International Airport in 2015.
The sun is perpendicular over a large part of Doha International Airport which receives a great deal of sunlight. The key factors behind these high temperatures consist in the continental location, sky clarity, and absence of vegetation. The sun’s vertical rays increase in summer during the entire period when the day is long, which in turn leads to a high rise in temperatures. In Summer for example the day length attains approximately 10 hours on average, and roughly 8 hours in winter when teperatures are low.
