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Weekly note

Where to go in Middle East in summer

Summer is June to August north of the equator; March to May in South Asia; December to February south of the equator. These are the places in Middle East where at least two of those three months are a sweet spot or good, ranked on ten years of climate readings, public holidays and fares.

Summer in the north: June to August

1 of the 7 places is a sweet spot or good in at least two of June, July and August; 1 of them in each of the three.

  1. Istanbul Turkey June: sweet spotJuly: sweet spotAugust: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 27–29°C

Fewer than two good months

Summer in South Asia: March to May

5 of the 7 places are a sweet spot or good in at least two of March, April and May.

  1. Cairo Egypt March: sweet spotApril: sweet spotMay: avoid 2 of 3 good or better · highs 25–34°C
  2. Dubai United Arab Emirates March: goodApril: goodMay: avoid 2 of 3 good or better · highs 28–36°C
  3. Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates March: goodApril: goodMay: avoid 2 of 3 good or better · highs 28–36°C
  4. Doha Qatar March: sweet spotApril: sweet spotMay: avoid 2 of 3 good or better · highs 27–38°C
  5. Istanbul Turkey March: okApril: goodMay: good 2 of 3 good or better · highs 13–21°C

Fewer than two good months

Summer in the south: December to February

6 of the 7 places are a sweet spot or good in at least two of December, January and February; 3 of them in each of the three.

  1. Doha Qatar December: sweet spotJanuary: goodFebruary: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 23–25°C
  2. Cairo Egypt December: goodJanuary: sweet spotFebruary: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 20–22°C
  3. Riyadh Saudi Arabia December: goodJanuary: goodFebruary: sweet spot 3 of 3 good or better · highs 21–23°C
  4. Dubai United Arab Emirates December: okJanuary: sweet spotFebruary: good 2 of 3 good or better · highs 24–26°C
  5. Muscat Oman December: okJanuary: goodFebruary: good 2 of 3 good or better · highs 25–26°C
  6. Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates December: goodJanuary: okFebruary: good 2 of 3 good or better · highs 24–26°C

Fewer than two good months

Middle East, season by season

Summer elsewhere

Labelled and ranked by the score from Bengaluru, as every month page is, until you choose your own city: then your own city's score decides, and the places are split into your own country, short hops within 1,500 km, and further away. A month counts when it is a sweet spot or good; two such months put a place on the list, and more months, then a higher average score, put it higher. The climate is each place's own, from ten years of readings. How we rank