Bahrain

Once famed for trade in precious pearls, today the shores of Bahrain are being reclaimed for ambitious, high profile developments. With a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-denominational society, along with a low cost of living, excellent education facilities offering curricula from around the world and high-quality healthcare, Bahrain is an attractive destination for westerners. Boasting an archipelago of 33 islands, a cosmopolitan capital city, an attractive liberal lifestyle and a rich history and culture you can be sure that your Bahrain holiday will not disappoint.

From historic monuments such as the Al Khamis Mosque, dating back to 692 A.D. to one of the most modern Formula One race-tracks in the world at the Bahrain International Circuit, a holiday in Bahrain will appeal to a diverse range of people. Water based activities include sailing, dolphin watching, fishing, scuba diving and kite surfing. On land, there are gyms, horse riding stables and sports clubs, including rugby, tennis, soccer, cricket and basketball. Furthermore, our Royal Golf Club, designed by international champion Colin Montgomerie, is a particular attraction.

Winter is the best time for your holiday to Bahrain. During the cooler months from November to April, conditions are perfect for beach days, activities and sightseeing. You can enjoy your time in the sun, without being too hot, as the temperatures range between 22°C and 30°C. April is also when the Formula One Grand Prix occurs – a vastly popular event, since it became the first edition to take place in the Middle East. In winter, you can also watch traditional dancing at the annual Heritage Festival, a celebration of the nation’s local history and culture. It’s worth checking the dates of Ramadan before you book. This holy month moves slightly every year, and you’ll find that the opening hours of cafes and restaurants are more limited during this time, as a lot of Bahrain’s residents observe a fast during daylight hours.

The climate of Bahrain is an arid type; mean annual rainfall is small (70.8mm) and irregular. Broadly speaking, the year may be divided into two main climatic periods from June to September and from December to March, separated by two transitional periods April/May and October/November.

The Winter Period

The winter period is the season of changeable weather when low pressure disturbances with their associated fronts transit the mid Gulf. Surface winds alternate mainly between south east ahead of these features and north west behind. The passage of the front and troughs may be accompanied by thunderstorms and squalls. Isolated severe storms can occur. Between these periods of "weather" a high pressure ridge over and good visibility.

The Summer Period

The summer period is one of mainly cloudless skies and persistently high temperatures. A shallow dome of relatively cool moist air over the Gulf is overlaid by hot dry air causing a marked temperature inversion in the first 1000 to 1500 feet of the order of 5 to 10 Degrees Centigrade. The seasonal rise in temperature peaks in August with a mean daily maximum of 38.0 Degrees Centigrade. The extreme maximum temperatures are observed however in May (46.7 C). During June and July a period of persistently strong north westerly winds known locally as the "summer shamal" occurs and arrests temporarily the seasonal rise in temperature.This shamal which is part of the Indian monsoon circulation is related directly to a low level jet stream concentrated near 1000 feet. This causes marked wind shears at times in the boundary layer of the order of 5-8 knots per 100 feet. The shamal transports dust from Iraq and visibility at Bahrain on occasions is reduced to less than 1500 metres over this period mainly between 2000Z to 0600Z.

The Transition Period

The transition periods are important in two respects, the first is the abruptness of the change during October/November when first incursions of cool air from the north west occur and replace the quiet conditions of late summer. The second, and more importantly, is the spring transition. This period is known as the sarrayat. Sudden changes in wind can occur, caused by relatively weak instability features, and low level wind shear has been observed with these sudden changes.