🇾🇪Yemen

Yemen (527,968 km²) spans 12°–19°N, 42°–54°E across the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, forming one of the climatically most diverse Arab nations with extreme variation from the hyper-arid coastal deserts to monsoon-influenced highlands and the unique Socotra microclimate.

The Tihama coastal plain (BWh) endures severe heat with summer maxima exceeding 45°C and annual rainfall under 100 mm, while humidity from the Red Sea creates oppressive conditions. The western highlands (BSh/Csa) rise abruptly to 3,760 m at Jabal an-Nabi Shuayb, creating Yemen's agricultural heartland around Sana'a (2,250 m) and Ta'izz where orographic uplift generates 400–800 mm annual rainfall concentrated in March–May and July–September monsoon pulses from the Indian Ocean.

The eastern plateau transitions into the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert receiving under 50 mm annually. The Hadhramaut valley system experiences extreme aridity punctuated by severe flash floods when rare convective systems stall. Socotra Island (250 km offshore) exhibits a distinct microclimate with stronger monsoon influence, unique endemic flora adapted to seasonal fog precipitation, and cyclone vulnerability. The complex topography creates dramatic microclimates: Aden averages 180 mm rainfall and 29°C annually while highland Sana'a receives 250 mm with mean temperatures near 18°C.

Yemen has experienced significant tropical cyclone activity and extreme weather. Cyclones Chapala and Megh in November 2015 marked the first hurricane-strength tropical cyclones to strike mainland Yemen on record, with Chapala delivering 610 mm of rain to Al Mukalla in 48 hours, killing dozens, displacing 40,000 people, and damaging infrastructure across Socotra and Hadhramaut.

Cyclone Tej in October 2023 struck eastern Yemen and Socotra as a severe cyclonic storm with 185 km/h winds, delivering 300 mm rainfall in 24 hours, killing at least 13 people. The November 2020 Hadhramaut floods killed over 30 people when heavy rainfall overwhelmed wadis, destroying 700 houses and critical water infrastructure in Seiyun and Tarim.

An August 2024 heatwave in Hodeidah exceeded 48°C with heat indices surpassing 55°C, creating life-threatening conditions for displaced populations. Rainfall has declined 20–30% since 1980 across most regions while temperature extremes intensify, with heatwaves now 2–3°C hotter than historical norms.

Our archive covers 7 Yemeni cities with daily ERA5 reanalysis data going back to 1940. The warmest July averages occur in Al Ḩudaydah, around 37.1°C, while Dhamār records the coldest January nights near 7.4°C. Comparing the last decade against the 1940–1970 baseline, mean temperatures across these cities have risen by about 1.7°C.