-1.1°C to 50.7°C: 2025, Oman’s year of weather extremes

Muscat: Oman’s weather delivered a year of striking contrasts in 2025, with temperatures soaring to a blistering 50.7°C in Barka and plunging to a freezing -1.1°C in Jabal Shams, highlighting the extraordinary climatic diversity that defines the Sultanate.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Climate Summary of Weather Events in the Sultanate of Oman 2025, temperature observations throughout the year revealed considerable spatial and seasonal variability, driven by the country’s unique mix of coastal plains, vast deserts and towering mountain ranges.

The highest temperature of the year was recorded at the Barka observation station during an intense heatwave that swept across the northern governorates on July 30 and 31. The two-day event was identified as the most severe of 10 notable heat episodes that affected different parts of Oman during the year.

The report shows that heatwaves were not confined to the peak summer months. An unusually warm spell between January 28 and 30 impacted governorates across the country, with temperatures reaching 33°C in Salalah and 32.6°C in Al Jazir—exceptionally high for that time of year.

Successive heat events continued through spring and summer, with temperatures climbing to 39.6°C in Sur in April, 45.5°C in Saham, 48.6°C in Quriyat, 49.1°C in Fahud, and 49.2°C in Bidiya, before culminating in the record-breaking 50.7°C recorded in Barka. Another nationwide warm spell in early September saw temperatures remain unusually high across all governorates, while October also witnessed widespread heat.

The other side of Oman’s weather story was equally dramatic. The Sultanate experienced nine notable cold spells during 2025, although the number was lower than in the previous year. The coldest conditions were recorded in the high-altitude areas, with Jabal Shams in Al Hamra registering -1.1°C, the lowest temperature observed anywhere in the country during the year.

Another significant cold episode occurred between November 24 and December 2, when temperatures at Jabal Shams dropped to -0.3°C, while earlier winter cold spells saw Saiq record lows of 2.6°C and 1.5°C, and Jabal Harim fall to 2.7°C.

The CAA attributed the decline in the number of cold-weather episodes compared with 2024 primarily to the reduced frequency of winter westerly troughs affecting the Sultanate.