Climate Oman
There are two seasons in Oman: summer, from April to October, is hot and humid, with temperatures fluctuating between 30 and 40°C; and winter, from November to February, is mild and sunny, with an average of 25°C. The best time to visit is from mid-October to mid-April, and it's at the beginning and end of the tourist season that divers will find the most beautiful waters. At the beginning of December, the occasional cyclone makes an appearance. Whatever the season, nights are fairly cool at altitude and in the desert. Sea temperatures are always pleasant, averaging 25°C in summer and 21°C in winter. In truth, four climatic landscapes determine activities and wardrobe: arid Mediterranean for the north and east coasts, radically desert in the dunes, south-alpine with winter frosts for the mountains, tropical coconut-banana in Dhofar.
Muscat and the coast
Between the breath of the desert and the breeze of the Gulf of Oman, Muscat enjoys a fine climate, with averages of 23°C in rainy January and 34°C in hot May. From June to September, the temperature rises to 30°C and peaks at 40°C under ultras that are more violent than violet. An oven that makes access to the outdoors rather perilous, leading to naps in the air-conditioning and endless visits to shopping malls. Ideally, we aim for mid-October to mid-December and March-April for swimming at 25°C/27°C and air at 26°C/30°C, or a more temperate January-February for those who prefer it.
Desert
At Sharqiya Sands, the climate is desert-like, with nights falling to 12° in February and peaking at 28° in August, while highs range from 27° in February to 44° in July. As a distant effect of the monsoon, cloud banks sometimes settle in during the summer, but otherwise it's clear blue skies the rest of the year. Our ideal would be in November and December, with 20°/35°. Local peculiarity: unlike the Sahara or the Kalahari, the Omani desert cools down very little, avoiding the icy mornings of the Hoggar and presenting a moderate thermal amplitude.
Hajar Mountains
If you plan to hike around Jebel Shams, summer (20°/30°) comes with some rain. We therefore prefer the period from September (17°/28°) to May (14°/24°), taking note of a wake-up call at 6° in January and February, at an altitude of 2,000 m. Winter does have its charms, however, with a thick fleece to admire the occasional snow-covered peaks.
Dhofar
The small tropical paradise of Oman, with its coconut groves, beaches and shellfish, will offer you pareo weather most of the year. But not ALL year round, and you're invited to read these lines carefully. We're no longer on the mild Gulf of Oman, but in front of the vast sea that rolls all the way to Zanzibar and Bombay. It's deep, oceanic. Since the trip to Salalah is generally made with the idea of an Edenic dip, coconuts in hand, it's best to set your calendar in line with Mother Nature, without necessarily listening to the tour operator, who tends to sell the Eastern Republic 365 days a week. So, between July and mid-September, when you're baking under the sun in Muscat, the monsoon takes hold in the south, with rainfall equivalent to half that of the month with the least rain in Paris, but slowly misted over for weeks under a leaden sky. Not ideal for sunbathing. This Khareef season is a regional must, and families from all over the Gulf come to hotels booked several months in advance, to enjoy the providential drizzle, the enveloping fog, this corner of lukewarm Ireland so exotic in the eyes of Omanis and Emiratis, much less in those of Europeans. To make the most of the beach, aim for October to April-May, with highs of 30°C, little or no rain and seawater that celebrates Christmas at 28°C and then slips down to 26°.
