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A hot
desert The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary has a hot desert climate.
There is very little rainfall and daytime temperatures
are high, especially in the summer months when it can
reach 47°C. At night it may be 20°C cooler. The lowest
temperature recorded at Jaaluni was 6°C one January. |
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Rainfall
Although rainfall averages only 35 mm per year and is often
very localized, it can be very dramatic. In April 1983,
143mm of rain fell in four days and Jaaluni, the
headquarters of the Arabian Oryx Project, was flooded for
over two months.
A fog desert
Fog is what makes the Sanctuary a special place. It occurs
54 mornings a year on average. The fog produces enough water
to sustain a wide range of plants, which in turn support the
animals. The fogs are most common in spring and autumn when
there is a gentle southerly sea breeze.
Measuring the weather
Daily records of the weather at Jaaluni have been kept since
1980. An automatic weather station records the following
parameters every hour: air temperature, relative humidity,
dew point temperature, sun radiation, and wind speed and
direction. Other equipment measures fog water and rainfall.
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