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Climate

     The following pages give a summary of climatological
readings taken at the main meteoroligical station at Shuwaikh,
about one mile from the coast.   ~atitude 290 20' N, longitude 470
57' E, and elevation 11 m. above M.S.Th..

     Conditions at Shuwaikh are about average for the development
area of Kuwait, and the records from this station are probably
the most representative for general use.

     Records are also taken from a string of auxiliary stations
ranging from Rawdhatein at the extreme north of Kuwait to Ras
Al-Khafji near the Saudi Arabian border.

     Ambient air temperatures are slightly more extreme inland.
The maximum and minimum temperatures at Rawdhatein can be as much
as 20 C higher and lower respectively than at Shuwaikh.   Relative
humidity is a few percent less, but measurably more humid
conditions prevail along the coastal strip.  Figures of relative
humidity of as much as 25 percent above the "Shuwaikh" figure
have been recorded at high water mark gradually diminishing
within half a kilometre of the coast.

     Sun radiation temperatures vary little inside the boundaries
of the State.   The "sun radiation1, temperature depends on the
colour, texture and orientation of the surface exposed, the
"black bulb" reading representing in effect, the highest
temperature which a surface can attain when exposed to direct
sunlight in Kuwait.   Actinograph records taken during the summer
months,  show that the maximum energy of sun radiation is equal to
one kilowatt per square metre and can amount to almost nine
kilowatt hours per square metre in the course of a summer's day.

     Frost is rare in Kuwait for, although the air temperature
near the ground may occasionally drop below freezing point, the
duration of freezing conditions is seldom long enough to cause
ice to form.   In no case have freezing conditions prevailed for
more than a few hours.

     Apart from the very few occurences of night radiation fog in
winter, occurences of reduced visibility are invariably due to
the presence of rising sand.

     Rainfall is the least predictable of all weather phenomena.
It varies vastly not only from year to year, but also from place
to place.   During a recent storm when only slight precipitation
occurred in Kuwait town,  33 mm. rain fell in Ahmadi and Fahaheel
within the space of half an hour.   The previous day Fahaheel
received 30 mm. of rain, and Shmadi 10 kms. away only slight
precipitation.   About all that can be said of rainfall in Kuwait,
is that is is sparse; does not occur in mid-summer and normally
occurs as thundary showers.   For this reason the rates of
precipitation are probably of more significance that the amount.


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