January is the coldest month. The cool season lasts from early December to early March 8, with an average daily high temperature below 78°F.
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It's always sunny in Qatar
When considering the Middle East, the question “is it always hot?” is top of mind.
The answer is no. No matter the time of year, there are a variety of weather-appropriate activities to meet any need.
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A peninsula jutting into the Arabian Gulf, Qatar has two main seasons. While summers can be scorching, winters are mild and glorious. Year-round sunshine lets you get your daily dose of vitamin D, with infrequent rainfall. Summer temperatures average 36°C and sometimes reach into the 50°sC. If you’re here in summer, dress appropriately with loose breathable fabrics. Even when the weather cools, the days are warmer thanks to the constant sunshine, though temperatures can drop considerably in the evenings.
There are many workarounds to enjoy the country despite blazing temperatures from May to October. Katara Cultural Village features an airconditioned outdoor high street, while newly built football stadiums have proprietary cooling technology that lets spectators enjoy sporting events at any time of year. The winding alleys of Souq Waqif are generally cooler than the open spaces here, the mud daubed walls replicating cooling systems of yore. Over two dozen malls in the country offer plenty of retail, dining and entertainment options catering to all ages and interests.
The ideal time to enjoy the entirety of Qatar’s offerings is between November and April, when the mild winter boasts average temperatures of 17°C. Residents and visitors take to Qatar’s great outdoors, enjoying the country’s parks and the ever-popular sidewalk cafés in The Pearl-Qatar, Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif and Souq Al Wakrah.
Winter is high season for camping (or glamping), desert safaris by the Inland Sea, discovering heritage sites and the myriad public artworks scattered throughout the country. Winter also provides a great setting for all kinds of sports activities. Tourists can experience living heritage through traditional sports such as camel racing (now with robot jockeys) , horse-riding and falconry.
Capitalising on its sunny winter weather with moderate temperature, Qatar hosts close to 80 sporting events and world-class competitions across a multitude of sporting disciplines annually, including tennis, squash and golf tournaments, and triathlons and marathons. With its state-of-the-art sports arenas and facilities, Qatar is fast emerging as a regional sporting hub, attracting the world’s top athletes, leading sports clubs and federations to host training camps. But being the first Middle Eastern country to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, football is by far the most popular game in the country.
This compact destination packs a powerful punch, with a host of cool attractions during the summer, and a plethora of outdoor experiences during Qatar’s perfect winter.
Qatar has a desert climate with year-round sunshine. Average monthly temperatures range from 17°C in January to 36°C in July.
The country's monthly average rainfall is 5.9mm, however, June to October is the dry season when rain is extremely rare.
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