Climate and average weather in Wadi Rum
In Wadi Rum, the summers are sweltering, dry, and clear and the winters are cool and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Wadi Rum typically varies from 4°C to 34°C, and is rarely below -0°C or above 37°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Wadi Rum for warm-weather activities are from late February to mid May and early October to early December.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 34°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 4°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 8 mm
- Driest
- Jun
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 37 mm
- 9 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.1–13.9 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 0 m
- 29.6°N
- Clearest
- Jun
- 2% cloud
Wadi Rum weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late February to mid May.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Wadi Rum, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.8 months, from May 16 to October 7, with daily high temperatures above 29°C. The hottest month of the year in Wadi Rum is August, with an average high of 34°C and low of 21°C.
The cool season lasts 2.9 months, from December 1 to February 27, with daily high temperatures below 18°C. The coldest month of the year in Wadi Rum is January, with an average low of 4°C and high of 14°C.
Days typically run about 12°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 14 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 27 | 21 | 16 |
| Avg low (°C) | 4 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 5 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | 4 |
| Feb | 16 | 5 |
| Mar | 20 | 8 |
| Apr | 25 | 12 |
| May | 29 | 16 |
| Jun | 32 | 19 |
| Jul | 34 | 21 |
| Aug | 34 | 21 |
| Sep | 32 | 19 |
| Oct | 27 | 15 |
| Nov | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 16 | 5 |
How hot and cold Wadi Rum really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Wadi Rum feels like about 34°C (around July 28). About 95 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 14 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 27 | 21 | 16 |
| Air high (°C) | 14 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 27 | 21 | 16 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 8 | 3 |
| Air low (°C) | 4 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 5 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | 14 | 1 | 4 |
| Feb | 16 | 16 | 3 | 5 |
| Mar | 20 | 20 | 6 | 8 |
| Apr | 25 | 25 | 12 | 12 |
| May | 29 | 29 | 16 | 16 |
| Jun | 32 | 32 | 19 | 19 |
| Jul | 34 | 34 | 21 | 21 |
| Aug | 34 | 34 | 21 | 21 |
| Sep | 32 | 32 | 19 | 19 |
| Oct | 27 | 27 | 15 | 15 |
| Nov | 21 | 21 | 8 | 9 |
| Dec | 16 | 16 | 3 | 5 |
Average hourly temperature in Wadi Rum
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on August afternoons, near 34°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 4°C.
Wadi Rum weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14° / 4° | 8 | 1.9 | 10.3 | 5.5 |
| Feb | 16° / 5° | 6 | 1.6 | 10.9 | 6.7 |
| Mar | 20° / 8° | 5 | 1.5 | 11.8 | 8.3 |
| Apr | 25° / 12° | 3 | 0.9 | 12.7 | 9.1 |
| May | 29° / 16° | 2 | 0.4 | 13.5 | 7.3 |
| Jun | 32° / 19° | 0 | 0 | 13.9 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 34° / 21° | 0 | 0 | 13.7 | 4.5 |
| Aug | 34° / 21° | 0 | 0.1 | 13.1 | 4.4 |
| Sep | 32° / 19° | 0 | 0.1 | 12.2 | 5.8 |
| Oct | 27° / 15° | 5 | 1.3 | 11.3 | 8.3 |
| Nov | 21° / 9° | 3 | 0.8 | 10.5 | 8.6 |
| Dec | 16° / 5° | 3 | 0.8 | 10.1 | 6.7 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Wadi Rum gets about 37 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, and that barely changes with the seasons — rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.
January is the wettest month by volume, with 8 mm over about 2 wet days; June is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Rain days | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | 2 |
| Feb | 6 | 2 |
| Mar | 5 | 2 |
| Apr | 3 | 1 |
| May | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 1 | 0 |
| Oct | 4 | 1 |
| Nov | 2 | 1 |
| Dec | 3 | 1 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Wadi Rum collects about 37 mm of rain across 9 wet days — roughly 3 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. January is the wettest month with 8 mm, while June is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 54% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Rain days | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | 2 |
| Feb | 6 | 2 |
| Mar | 5 | 2 |
| Apr | 3 | 1 |
| May | 2 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 5 | 1 |
| Nov | 3 | 1 |
| Dec | 3 | 1 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Wadi Rum, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around May 18 and lasts for 5.5 months, ending around November 1. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 100% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around November 2 and lasts for 6.5 months, ending around May 17. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 19% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 81 | 84 | 88 | 89 | 91 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 94 | 86 | 84 |
| Cloudier (%) | 19 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 16 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81 | 19 |
| Feb | 84 | 16 |
| Mar | 88 | 12 |
| Apr | 89 | 11 |
| May | 91 | 9 |
| Jun | 99 | 1 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 99 | 1 |
| Oct | 94 | 6 |
| Nov | 86 | 14 |
| Dec | 84 | 16 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 10, brings about 13 h 54 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 10 h 06 min — a swing of roughly 3 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.3 | 10.9 | 11.8 | 12.7 | 13.5 | 13.9 | 13.7 | 13.1 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 10.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:39 | 6:25 | 5:55 | 5:17 | 4:50 | 4:42 | 4:52 | 5:10 | 5:27 | 5:45 | 6:09 | 6:31 |
| Sunset (PM) | 4:56 | 5:21 | 5:41 | 6:00 | 6:19 | 6:35 | 6:36 | 6:15 | 5:38 | 5:02 | 4:38 | 4:38 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.3 | 6:39 | 4:56 |
| Feb | 10.9 | 6:25 | 5:21 |
| Mar | 11.8 | 5:55 | 5:41 |
| Apr | 12.7 | 5:17 | 6:00 |
| May | 13.5 | 4:50 | 6:19 |
| Jun | 13.9 | 4:42 | 6:35 |
| Jul | 13.7 | 4:52 | 6:36 |
| Aug | 13.1 | 5:10 | 6:15 |
| Sep | 12.2 | 5:27 | 5:38 |
| Oct | 11.3 | 5:45 | 5:02 |
| Nov | 10.5 | 6:09 | 4:38 |
| Dec | 10.1 | 6:31 | 4:38 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Wadi Rum averages about 26 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 20 and 30 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.4 months, from around May 20 to Oct 29. The sunniest month is June, with roughly 30 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is January, down near 21 sunny days — about 30% fewer than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 21 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 23 | 23 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Bright |
| Feb | 20 | Bright |
| Mar | 24 | Brilliant |
| Apr | 24 | Brilliant |
| May | 26 | Brilliant |
| Jun | 29 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 31 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 31 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 29 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 27 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 23 | Brilliant |
| Dec | 23 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Wadi Rum, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in August, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 1% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 91 | 76 | 85 | 97 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 23 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 99 | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 91 | 9 | 0 |
| Aug | 76 | 23 | 1 |
| Sep | 85 | 15 | 1 |
| Oct | 97 | 3 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Wadi Rum is typically calm, near 9 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.6 months, from around Jan 28 to Aug 17. The windiest month is March, averaging about 11 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Aug 18 to Jan 27, with October the calmest month at about 7 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | calm |
| Feb | 10 | calm |
| Mar | 11 | calm |
| Apr | 11 | calm |
| May | 11 | calm |
| Jun | 11 | calm |
| Jul | 10 | calm |
| Aug | 9 | calm |
| Sep | 8 | calm |
| Oct | 7 | calm |
| Nov | 8 | calm |
| Dec | 8 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Wadi Rum
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Wadi Rum sees seasonal dust haze (May), heaviest in May.
Best time to visit Wadi Rum
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Wadi Rum throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early March, Wadi Rum is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Wadi Rum for general outdoor tourist activities run from late February to mid May and again from early October to early December, with a peak score in the second week of April.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 5.6 | 6.7 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 7.3 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 6.7 |
| Rating | good | good | ideal | ideal | good | good | fair | fair | good | ideal | ideal | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.6 | good |
| Feb | 6.7 | good |
| Mar | 8.3 | ideal |
| Apr | 9.0 | ideal |
| May | 7.3 | good |
| Jun | 5.5 | good |
| Jul | 4.5 | fair |
| Aug | 4.4 | fair |
| Sep | 5.8 | good |
| Oct | 8.2 | ideal |
| Nov | 8.5 | ideal |
| Dec | 6.7 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Wadi Rum for hot-weather activities is from mid April to early November, with a peak score in the first week of October.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Wadi Rum, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around August (highs near 34°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 14°C), pack a warm layer.
In August, Wadi Rum sees daytime highs around 34°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Wadi Rum
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 58 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in February near 21°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 23 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 21 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 21 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 22 | Refreshing |
| May | 24 | Refreshing |
| Jun | 25 | Warm |
| Jul | 27 | Warm |
| Aug | 28 | Warm |
| Sep | 27 | Warm |
| Oct | 26 | Warm |
| Nov | 25 | Warm |
| Dec | 23 | Refreshing |
UV index (midday) in Wadi Rum by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Wadi Rum peaks around June 19 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 4 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 5 | Moderate |
| Mar | 8 | Very high |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 10 | Extreme |
| Oct | 8 | Very high |
| Nov | 6 | High |
| Dec | 4 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Wadi Rum
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 3.5 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 7 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 5 | 3.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.5 | 0 |
| Feb | 4.5 | 0 |
| Mar | 6.5 | 4 |
| Apr | 7 | 4.5 |
| May | 8.5 | 6 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8.5 | 6 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Nov | 5 | 0 |
| Dec | 3.5 | 0 |
Air quality in Wadi Rum by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Wadi Rum is worst in May — around 33 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (November, 19 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 20 | 22 | 24 | 31 | 33 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 22 | 19 | 20 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Moderate |
| Feb | 22 | Moderate |
| Mar | 24 | Moderate |
| Apr | 31 | Moderate |
| May | 33 | Moderate |
| Jun | 27 | Moderate |
| Jul | 24 | Moderate |
| Aug | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 27 | Moderate |
| Oct | 22 | Moderate |
| Nov | 19 | Moderate |
| Dec | 20 | Moderate |
Growing season
Wadi Rum is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter. Nights are reliably above freezing from about January 25 to January 9 (350 days); outside that window a hard frost is an occasional risk.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 90 | 95 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 96 |
| Frost nights | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90 | 14 |
| Feb | 95 | 0 |
| Mar | 99 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 96 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Wadi Rum banks about 3,280 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 20 | 124 | 248 | 388 | 462 | 529 | 534 | 459 | 346 | 151 | 20 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 20 |
| Mar | 124 |
| Apr | 248 |
| May | 388 |
| Jun | 462 |
| Jul | 529 |
| Aug | 534 |
| Sep | 459 |
| Oct | 346 |
| Nov | 151 |
| Dec | 20 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Wadi Rum receives about 6.2 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.7 and 8.3 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.4 months, from around Mar 15 to Sep 26. The brightest month is June, averaging about 8.2 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 3.8 kWh/m² — roughly 54% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.0 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.0 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.3 | Intense |
| Apr | 7.4 | Intense |
| May | 8.0 | Intense |
| Jun | 8.3 | Intense |
| Jul | 8.0 | Intense |
| Aug | 7.6 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.6 | Intense |
| Oct | 5.4 | Bright |
| Nov | 4.3 | Bright |
| Dec | 3.8 | Moderate |
Where is Wadi Rum?
Wadi Rum sits at 29.6°N, 35.4°E, 0 m above sea level, in Jordan. The nearest listed city is Aqaba, 41 km away.
What Wadi Rum looks like
Topography around Wadi Rum
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Wadi Rum.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Wadi Rum has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 854 m around an average of 1,160 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 962 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,816 m.
The land around Wadi Rum is covered by bare terrain (96%) within 3 km, bare terrain (99%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (96%) within 80 km.
Jordan travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type B / C / D / F / G / J
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 42% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $5,348
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 89%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 1
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 17
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 426
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Wadi Rum (29.5846°, 35.4263°, elevation 0 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).