Egypt

Egypt has four seasons:

Winter from mid-Nov to mid-Feb
Spring from mid-Feb to end mid-Apr
Summer from mid-Apr to end Sep
Autumn from Oct to mid-Nov

In general the climate is hot and dry. At other times of the year it is hotter and drier! There is very little rainfall at all. Lightweight summer clothing is sufficient for many months of the year.
There can be significant temperature variations between Cairo and Aswan, often from 5º-8ºC. During the winter months it can get quite cool in Cairo, particularly at night. A sleeping bag is needed if you are travelling by felucca, or travelling into the Western Desert, and a pullover is also recommended.

During summer (June, July & August) it is extremely hot in the south, the western desert and the Sinai. Midday temperatures can rise in excess of 40º so we try, where we can, to schedule activities in the early morning or late afternoon. There is little to be done to ease the midday heat except to rest and read a book.

The tricky periods are Spring and Autumn (May and September) when it can be cool in Cairo but warm to hot in the south. Wise travellers will take one or two items of heavier clothing during these periods, just in case there's a cold snap.

Between March and April, and sometimes as late as May, the 'khamsin' blows in from the Western Desert. This is a hot, dry, dusty wind which is quite unpleasant. You can usually see it coming - a large grey/orange cloud - and the best thing to do is to get inside and batten down the hatches. See the climatic chart at the front for specifics.


Jordan

Jordan is, geographically, about halfway between Egypt and Israel, and so is its climate. The area around the Dead Sea is hot and dry, as is much of the southern region of the country. Around Petra and Wadi Rum you can get temperatures over 35ºC during the summer months (May-Sep) so please be prepared for some very hot days if you are travelling at this time. In the winter (Nov-Mar) the average daytime temperature in the south is around 18º-20ºC. Night time temperatures rarely fall below 12ºC. A sleeping bag can be useful in the middle of winter, if you are camping at Wadi Rum. See the climatic chart on page 15 for details.

In the northern part of the country, particularly around Amman, it can get quite cool in the winter. Snow is not unheard of and average minimum temperatures during Dec-Feb tend to be in the region of 5º-8º degrees. There is also some rain in Amman during this period.


Turkey

Although Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the landscape, and the existence in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, results in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to the other.

Istanbul is part of Europe and the weather reflects that. You'll find a wet cold winter (3-8ºC) slowly turning into a damp warm spring and a mild (18–28ºC) summer that doesn't hang around any longer than it feels is necessary.

The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers (21-33ºC) and mild winters (4-12ºC).

Cappadocia shares the climate of much of inland Turkey. Summers can be very hot and your altitude is directly proportional to the amount of snow you get in the winter.