🇴🇲Oman
8 cities
Climate overview
Oman occupies approximately 315,331 km² on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, flanked by the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, and the vast Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert. Dominated by hot desert climate (BWh), most of the country experiences extreme aridity with coastal plains receiving 20–100 mm annual rainfall and interior temperatures reaching 49.8°C (121.6°F) in summer, while the Batinah plain and mountainous regions like Jebel Akhdar can receive up to 900 mm.
The southern Dhofar Governorate stands as a striking climatic anomaly — its capital Salalah benefits from the southwest monsoon (khareef) between June and September, transforming the region into Oman's most fertile area with constantly running streams and lush vegetation, while the rest of the nation endures hyperarid conditions. The rugged Hajar Mountains, rising to Mount Shams at 3,008 m, create dramatic topographic variation that shapes local microclimates and seasonal water availability through extensive wadi systems.
Oman has experienced significant tropical cyclone activity in the Arabian Sea. Cyclone Gonu in June 2007 became the strongest cyclone recorded in the Arabian Sea, making landfall near Muscat with winds of 240 km/h, killing 50 people, displacing 20,000, and causing $4.2 billion in damage.
Cyclone Mekunu struck Dhofar near Salalah in May 2018, the first hurricane-intensity storm since 1959, dropping 617 mm of rain in four days and causing $1.5 billion in damage. Cyclone Shaheen made landfall north of Muscat in October 2021, with 290.8 mm rainfall in Suwaiq, 14 deaths, and OMR 200 million in damage. The 2021–2022 Persian Gulf heatwaves pushed temperatures beyond 52°C in some areas, while sea-level rise is accelerating and threatens Muscat's coastal infrastructure and increases storm surge risks.
Our archive covers 8 Omani cities with daily ERA5 reanalysis data going back to 1940. The warmest July averages occur in ‘Ibrī, around 42.1°C, while ‘Ibrī records the coldest January nights near 12.1°C. Comparing the last decade against the 1940–1970 baseline, mean temperatures across these cities have risen by about 1.7°C.
How the climate has shifted in Oman
Average across 8 cities with full ERA5 coverage — 1940–1970 baseline vs the last decade (2016–2025).
- Annual mean temperature
- 27.7°C→29.3°C
- Days above 30°C per year
- 227 days→247 days+20
- Frost days per year
- 0 days→0 days+0
- Tropical nights (≥20°C) per year
- 240 nights→296 nights+56
Warmest year in the record so far: 2024.
What's unusual right now
From a snapshot of the world's largest cities updated each hour. Today's mean temperature compared with each city's long-term average for the same calendar date (ERA5 climatology, 1940 onward). Last 30 days uses each city's rolling daily-mean vs its monthly average. Not a global ranking.