The plans of most people planning a trip to Egypt depend on the weather at the resorts of this African country. Days dedicated to leisure or business should not be too sunny or rainy. The combination of heat with high humidity is especially undesirable. It is very good to go to Egypt in winter. The weather in January is usually mild. Usually the air is heated to +20 °C, only the nights can be cool.
New Year and Christmas peak of visits to Egypt
Egypt's resort towns are very popular during the winter months. Russian tourists and residents of those Eastern European countries come here in December-February, where at this time the cold is raging, cold slushy weather reigns. Daytime air temperature in the north of the African continent in December-February rarely drops below +20 °C, at night it is cooler (+10 °С). Winter weather in Egypt is suitable for beach and other types of recreation.
The main preferences of tourists:
- rest in resortsRed Sea and Sinai;
- sightseeing world-famous sights in the desert areas south and west of Cairo;
- Nile Blue Ribbon Cruises;
- visit the cities of Aswan, Luxor.
Climatic contrasts of Egypt. Mediterranean coast
You should not be guided by the average temperatures for the whole country for those who first decided to visit Egypt. The weather in January on the Mediterranean coast is significantly different from that prevailing in the interior desert regions. The strip of land in the north, where the cities of Alexandria and Port Said are located, is located in the subtropical climate zone. Summer days here are sunny but not so hot, winters are relatively warm and humid. This climate is often referred to as "eternal spring".
Egyptian resorts allow you to swim during almost all calendar months, only for small children and elderly tourists the winter sea sometimes seems not warm enough. Water is heated up to +21 (temperature in January). In Egypt, off the coast of Alexandria and other Mediterranean resorts, the swimming season begins in spring and continues until October. The average January temperature on the north coast is +18 °C.
Winter weather in the Red Sea area
The main resort area of Egypt is located on the shores of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, in the southeast of the Sinai Peninsula. These areas, as well as the entire southern and central parts of the country, are in the tropical climate zone. It is characterized by high summertemperature, warm weather in winter. Egypt in January gives good prospects for interesting dives to the bottom of the Red Sea. Fans of diving and snorkeling have long chosen local coral reefs for their underwater excursions. In winter, the water is cleaner and more transparent, all the riches of the underwater world are in full view.
Some days in January can be cool, but there are not many of them, and there is no such winter as in temperate latitudes in Egypt. Heavy rains and snow are rare, and the total amount of moisture is only 100–250 mm per year. In the tropics, it is difficult to distinguish four seasons, so they often talk about two seasons: hot and dry, cool and relatively wet. The first begins in April and lasts until November. Then the flow of air masses changes, the long-awaited coolness comes, more precipitation falls. January is the rainiest month of the year, especially on the northern coast of the country (2-3 rains per month).
Weather in Egypt. December, January is a great time to go on holiday
In anticipation of the Catholic Christmas and New Year, the demand for tours to Egypt is growing. After the New Year holidays, it decreases until April. The low season starts at the end of November, but lasts less than one month. In winter, in addition to relaxing on the coast, excursions to the sights of the cradle of the civilization of the pharaohs are popular. The flow of tourists is increasing, who are heading to the cities of Cairo and Luxor, to the pyramids on the Giza plateau.
Experienced tourists in Januarytake the opportunity to visit the sights in the Sahara and Upper Egypt, where it can be quite hot in summer. In Aswan in the south, January is warm - almost +24 °C. The air in desert areas is heated in winter to +25 °C. Climatic contrasts are especially felt when during the day you can walk in one T-shirt, and at night you can enjoy a warm blanket, because it is only +10 °С outside the window.
Egypt: weather in January, desert winds
One of the unpleasant features of winter in Egypt can be called sandstorms. They come from the interior of the Sahara, where nighttime temperatures in January are around 0°C. The sandstorm season begins in late autumn and continues throughout the winter. For guests arriving in Egypt, the weather in January may seem uncomfortable for relaxation due to the coolness that the wind brings (+17 ° С). But as soon as the sun comes out, it becomes warm again (up to +28 °С).
The windy season is more of a negative impact in Hurghada and less felt in the resorts of the Sinai Peninsula, because Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh are protected by the water strip of the Suez Canal and mountain peaks.
Features of tourist seasons in Egypt
Prices for accommodation in hotels, for excursion services are sensitive to such indicators as an increase or decrease in the tourist flow to the country. In Egypt, weather and climate have the most direct influence on the preferences of foreign and local visitors. Almost throughout the country, the period from December to February inclusive is the high season, from June to August is the low season. Smallerthese fluctuations are reflected in visits to the eastern part and Cairo. The Alexandrian coast and the resorts of the Red Sea were chosen not only by guests from the northern countries of Europe. Locals and Arabs living in the Persian Gulf basin prefer to spend their summer holidays here.
The winter weather in Egypt sometimes brings unpleasant surprises. In Cairo, cold evenings, it is cloudy during the day. On the Mediterranean coast, it can charge with rain. The beaches of the Sinai Peninsula in January do not seem as welcoming as in the velvet season. The best way out is to spend the New Year holidays in Egypt, and then come again in the fall.
