Climate and average weather in Qal‘at Bīshah
In Qal‘at Bīshah, the summers are sweltering, dry, and mostly clear and the winters are warm and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Qal‘at Bīshah typically varies from 11°C to 39°C, and is rarely below 7°C or above 41°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Qal‘at Bīshah for warm-weather activities is from mid November to late February.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 39°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 11°
- Wettest
- Apr
- 13 mm
- Driest
- Sep
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 38 mm
- 10 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.8–13.2 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,168 m
- 20.0°N
- Clearest
- Oct
- 13% cloud
Qal‘at Bīshah is human settlement in Saudi Arabia.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Qal‘at Bīshah 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 mid November to late February.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Qal‘at Bīshah, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.6 months, from May 7 to September 24, with daily high temperatures above 36°C. The hottest month of the year in Qal‘at Bīshah is August, with an average high of 39°C and low of 25°C.
The cool season lasts 2.8 months, from November 23 to February 14, with daily high temperatures below 28°C. The coldest month of the year in Qal‘at Bīshah is January, with an average low of 11°C and high of 26°C.
Days typically run about 15°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 26 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 37 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 33 | 29 | 26 |
| Avg low (°C) | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 11 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 11 |
| Feb | 28 | 13 |
| Mar | 31 | 16 |
| Apr | 34 | 19 |
| May | 37 | 22 |
| Jun | 39 | 24 |
| Jul | 39 | 25 |
| Aug | 39 | 25 |
| Sep | 37 | 22 |
| Oct | 33 | 18 |
| Nov | 29 | 14 |
| Dec | 26 | 11 |
How hot and cold Qal‘at Bīshah 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, Qal‘at Bīshah feels like about 39°C (around August 8). About 205 days a year carry some heat stress, and 59 of them tip into dangerous heat (feels-like above 39°C), peaking in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 26 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 37 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 32 | 29 | 26 |
| Air high (°C) | 26 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 37 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 33 | 29 | 26 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 11 |
| Air low (°C) | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 11 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 26 | 11 | 11 |
| Feb | 28 | 28 | 13 | 13 |
| Mar | 31 | 31 | 16 | 16 |
| Apr | 34 | 34 | 19 | 19 |
| May | 37 | 37 | 22 | 22 |
| Jun | 39 | 39 | 24 | 24 |
| Jul | 39 | 39 | 25 | 25 |
| Aug | 39 | 39 | 25 | 25 |
| Sep | 37 | 37 | 22 | 22 |
| Oct | 32 | 33 | 18 | 18 |
| Nov | 29 | 29 | 14 | 14 |
| Dec | 26 | 26 | 11 | 11 |
Average hourly temperature in Qal‘at Bīshah
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 39°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 11°C.
Qal‘at Bīshah 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 | 26° / 11° | 4 | 1 | 10.9 | 8.9 |
| Feb | 28° / 13° | 3 | 0.6 | 11.3 | 8.1 |
| Mar | 31° / 16° | 9 | 2 | 11.9 | 5.9 |
| Apr | 34° / 19° | 13 | 3.3 | 12.4 | 4.0 |
| May | 37° / 22° | 3 | 1.3 | 12.9 | 2.1 |
| Jun | 39° / 24° | 0 | 0.1 | 13.2 | 0.8 |
| Jul | 39° / 25° | 0 | 0.1 | 13.1 | 0.6 |
| Aug | 39° / 25° | 1 | 0.4 | 12.7 | 0.5 |
| Sep | 37° / 22° | 0 | 0 | 12.1 | 2.0 |
| Oct | 33° / 18° | 1 | 0.3 | 11.5 | 5.1 |
| Nov | 29° / 14° | 2 | 0.4 | 11.1 | 7.5 |
| Dec | 26° / 11° | 1 | 0.2 | 10.8 | 9.0 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Qal‘at Bīshah gets about 38 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.1 months, from around Feb 24 to May 27, peaking in April at about 12% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 22.
April is the wettest month by volume, with 13 mm over about 3 wet days; September is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rain days | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | 1 |
| Feb | 2 | 1 |
| Mar | 7 | 2 |
| Apr | 10 | 3 |
| May | 4 | 1 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 1 | 0 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Qal‘at Bīshah collects about 38 mm of rain across 10 wet days — roughly 3 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. April is the wettest month with 13 mm, while September is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 68% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 4 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Rain days | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | 1 |
| Feb | 3 | 1 |
| Mar | 9 | 2 |
| Apr | 13 | 3 |
| May | 3 | 1 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 2 | 0 |
| Dec | 1 | 0 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Qal‘at Bīshah, 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 September 2 and lasts for 4.0 months, ending around January 1. The clearest month is October, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 95% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around June 19 and lasts for 2.5 months, ending around September 1. The cloudiest month is July, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 23% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 89 | 93 | 91 | 91 | 90 | 90 | 77 | 83 | 95 | 95 | 94 | 93 |
| Cloudier (%) | 11 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 23 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89 | 11 |
| Feb | 93 | 7 |
| Mar | 91 | 9 |
| Apr | 91 | 9 |
| May | 90 | 10 |
| Jun | 90 | 10 |
| Jul | 77 | 23 |
| Aug | 83 | 17 |
| Sep | 95 | 5 |
| Oct | 95 | 5 |
| Nov | 94 | 6 |
| Dec | 93 | 7 |
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 6, brings about 13 h 12 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 10 h 48 min — a swing of roughly 2 h 24 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.9 | 11.3 | 11.9 | 12.4 | 12.9 | 13.2 | 13.1 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 11.1 | 10.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:52 | 6:45 | 6:23 | 5:56 | 5:37 | 5:34 | 5:42 | 5:53 | 6:01 | 6:09 | 6:24 | 6:42 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:46 | 6:04 | 6:15 | 6:23 | 6:34 | 6:46 | 6:48 | 6:34 | 6:07 | 5:41 | 5:26 | 5:30 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.9 | 6:52 | 5:46 |
| Feb | 11.3 | 6:45 | 6:04 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 6:23 | 6:15 |
| Apr | 12.4 | 5:56 | 6:23 |
| May | 12.9 | 5:37 | 6:34 |
| Jun | 13.2 | 5:34 | 6:46 |
| Jul | 13.1 | 5:42 | 6:48 |
| Aug | 12.7 | 5:53 | 6:34 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 6:01 | 6:07 |
| Oct | 11.5 | 6:09 | 5:41 |
| Nov | 11.1 | 6:24 | 5:26 |
| Dec | 10.8 | 6:42 | 5:30 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Qal‘at Bīshah averages about 23 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 13 and 28 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.0 months, from around Sep 7 to Jan 5. The sunniest month is October, with roughly 27 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is July, down near 15 sunny days — about 45% fewer than the October peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 24 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 17 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Sky | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | Brilliant |
| Feb | 24 | Brilliant |
| Mar | 25 | Brilliant |
| Apr | 23 | Brilliant |
| May | 22 | Bright |
| Jun | 22 | Bright |
| Jul | 15 | Mixed |
| Aug | 17 | Bright |
| Sep | 25 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 27 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 26 | Brilliant |
| Dec | 26 | Brilliant |
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 Qal‘at Bīshah, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in August, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 3% 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 (%) | 98 | 96 | 86 | 83 | 94 | 99 | 94 | 89 | 99 | 97 | 93 | 96 |
| Comfortable (%) | 2 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 98 | 2 | 0 |
| Feb | 96 | 4 | 0 |
| Mar | 86 | 13 | 1 |
| Apr | 83 | 15 | 2 |
| May | 94 | 5 | 1 |
| Jun | 99 | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 94 | 5 | 1 |
| Aug | 89 | 9 | 3 |
| Sep | 99 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct | 97 | 2 | 1 |
| Nov | 93 | 7 | 0 |
| Dec | 96 | 4 | 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 Qal‘at Bīshah is typically light breeze, near 13 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 2.9 months, from around Jun 8 to Sep 3. The windiest month is July, averaging about 17 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Nov 4 to Mar 9, with December the calmest month at about 11 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
| Feels | calm | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | calm |
| Feb | 12 | light breeze |
| Mar | 13 | light breeze |
| Apr | 13 | light breeze |
| May | 12 | light breeze |
| Jun | 14 | light breeze |
| Jul | 17 | light breeze |
| Aug | 15 | light breeze |
| Sep | 13 | light breeze |
| Oct | 14 | light breeze |
| Nov | 12 | light breeze |
| Dec | 11 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Qal‘at Bīshah
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Qal‘at Bīshah sees seasonal dust haze (March–September), heaviest in July.
Best time to visit Qal‘at Bīshah
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Qal‘at Bīshah throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid February, Qal‘at Bīshah is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
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 time of year to visit Qal‘at Bīshah for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid November to late February, with a peak score in the last week of December.
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) | 8.9 | 8.0 | 5.9 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 5.1 | 7.5 | 8.9 |
| Rating | ideal | ideal | good | fair | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | ideal | ideal |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.9 | ideal |
| Feb | 8.0 | ideal |
| Mar | 5.9 | good |
| Apr | 4.0 | fair |
| May | 2.1 | poor |
| Jun | 0.8 | poor |
| Jul | 0.6 | poor |
| Aug | 0.5 | poor |
| Sep | 2.1 | poor |
| Oct | 5.1 | fair |
| Nov | 7.5 | ideal |
| Dec | 8.9 | ideal |
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 Qal‘at Bīshah for hot-weather activities is from early October to mid April, with a peak score in the third week of November.
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 Qal‘at Bīshah, 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 39°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 26°C), pack light clothes and sun protection.
In August, Qal‘at Bīshah sees daytime highs around 39°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index (midday) in Qal‘at Bīshah 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 Qal‘at Bīshah peaks around March 24 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 6 (high).
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) | 8 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 10 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 7 | Very high |
| Dec | 5 | High |
Average hourly UV index in Qal‘at Bīshah
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 March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6 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) | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 4 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.5 | 4 |
| Feb | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| May | 8 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 6 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 7 | 5 |
| Nov | 6 | 3 |
| Dec | 5 | 0 |
Air quality in Qal‘at Bīshah 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 Qal‘at Bīshah is worst in February — around 91 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 47 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) | 82 | 91 | 87 | 78 | 66 | 63 | 71 | 68 | 53 | 47 | 62 | 73 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Poor | Unhealthy | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 91 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 87 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 78 | Unhealthy |
| May | 66 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 63 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 71 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 68 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 53 | Poor |
| Oct | 47 | Poor |
| Nov | 62 | Unhealthy |
| Dec | 73 | Unhealthy |
Growing season
Qal‘at Bīshah is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 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 | 100 | 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. Qal‘at Bīshah banks about 5,754 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 256 | 295 | 418 | 489 | 603 | 644 | 688 | 688 | 588 | 464 | 346 | 276 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 256 |
| Feb | 295 |
| Mar | 418 |
| Apr | 489 |
| May | 603 |
| Jun | 644 |
| Jul | 688 |
| Aug | 688 |
| Sep | 588 |
| Oct | 464 |
| Nov | 346 |
| Dec | 276 |
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.
Qal‘at Bīshah receives about 6.4 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.9 and 7.5 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 7.2 months, from around Mar 9 to Oct 12. The brightest month is June, averaging about 7.4 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is January, down near 5.0 kWh/m² — roughly 32% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.0 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.0 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.8 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.5 | Intense |
| Apr | 7.0 | Intense |
| May | 7.4 | Intense |
| Jun | 7.4 | Intense |
| Jul | 7.0 | Intense |
| Aug | 6.9 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.7 | Intense |
| Oct | 6.3 | Intense |
| Nov | 5.4 | Bright |
| Dec | 5.0 | Bright |
Where is Qal‘at Bīshah?
Qal‘at Bīshah sits at 20.0°N, 42.6°E, 1,168 m above sea level, in Saudi Arabia. The nearest listed city is Sabt Alalayah, 82 km away.
Topography around Qal‘at Bīshah
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Qal‘at Bīshah.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Qal‘at Bīshah has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 46 m around an average of 1,162 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 318 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,274 m.
The land around Qal‘at Bīshah is covered by bare terrain (60%) and artificial surfaces (36%) within 3 km, bare terrain (95%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (99%) within 80 km.
Saudi Arabia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type G
- 230 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 47% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $34,537
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 0.9
- per 100k, 2019
- Road deaths
- 35.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 404
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 Qal‘at Bīshah (20.0005°, 42.6052°, elevation 1,168 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. 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).