Key Summary- Palestine’s western coast and central highlands experience a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa), with rainy winters and prolonged dry summers.
- The eastern slopes and the deep Jordan Rift Valley shift sharply into hot semi-arid (BSh) and hot desert (BWh) zones where rainfall is sparse.
- Extreme elevation differences, from sea level to the Dead Sea basin at more than 400 metres below sea level, create intense climatic contrasts over very short distances.
Palestine sits at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and the desert, a position that produces striking climate variety for such a compact territory. Our WeatherBox maps and data highlight three main Köppen climate zones. The coastal plain, including Gaza, and the western highlands of the West Bank fall firmly under a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa). This means long, dry, sun-drenched summers and mild, wet winters. Inland and eastward, on the leeward slopes descending toward the Jordan Valley, the climate transitions through a hot semi-arid zone (BSh) before arriving at a hot desert climate (BWh) around the Dead Sea and the lower Jordan River. The WeatherBox charts show how rainfall totals collapse from west to east, a pattern driven directly by the shape of the land.
Prevailing westerly winds carry moisture from the Mediterranean Sea onto the western plains and hills during the cooler months, bathing them in most of their annual rain from November to March. Coastal winter highs typically range from 17°C to 20°C (63°F to 68°F), while summer highs hover near 30°C to 33°C (86°F to 91°F) with stubbornly high humidity. The central highlands, with elevations often between 700 and 1,000 metres (2,300 to 3,300 feet), are slightly cooler and receive more reliable rainfall, fostering terraced orchards. As the winds push over the crest and descend the eastern slopes, a powerful rain shadow takes hold. The air warms and dries rapidly, and annual rainfall can plummet to just a fraction of what falls a few dozen kilometres away. By the time you reach the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley, summer daytime temperatures regularly soar above 40°C (104°F) and the landscape sits under a desert sun. Here, the hot desert climate (BWh) produces a parched, low-altitude heat that feels relentless, with overnight lows in winter rarely dipping below 10°C to 14°C (50°F to 57°F).
