Dhalkut tops rainfall charts as Maqshin hits 49.4°C in July: CAA
Monthly statistics highlight sharp contrast between monsoon-soaked south and scorching interior, with several stations running above their long-term temperature averages
Published: 07:08 AM,Aug 04,2026 | EDITED : 11:08 AM,Aug 04,2026
Muscat: The southern wilayat of Dhalkut recorded the highest cumulative rainfall in the Sultanate during July with 146.6 millimetres, while Maqshin topped the temperature chart at 49.4 degrees Celsius, according to monthly weather statistics released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The figures, published as part of the authority's regular monthly bulletin under the National Aviation Strategy 2040, underline a month of stark climatic contrasts – from monsoon-soaked escarpments in Dhofar to searing desert interiors, and from chilly heights on Jebel Shams to coastal stations running warmer than their long-term averages.
Dhofar leads rainfall
Dhalkut, in Dhofar Governorate, received by far the highest monthly rainfall total – 146.6mm – nearly three times that of the next highest station, the CAA's data showed.
It was followed by Qairoon Hairiti with 57.0mm, Jebel Shams with 56.0mm, Samail with 48.8mm and Bahla with 31.8mm.
The rainfall distribution reflects the peak of the khareef season, when monsoon flows bring drizzle and intermittent rain to Dhofar's coastal plains and mountain escarpments, while convective activity over the Hajar range showers interior wilayats.
Interior sizzles, mountains chill
On temperatures, the CAA said Maqshin logged the month's highest reading at 49.4°C. It was followed by Makhizna at 48.9°C, Dima wa Al Taiyeen at 48.8°C, Umm Al Tubul at 48.7°C and Hamra Al Duru at 48.6°C.
At the other end of the scale, the lowest temperature of the month was 11.6°C on Jebel Shams, the Sultanate's highest peak. Other cool stations included Saiq at 17.5°C, Shalim at 20.1°C, and Dhalkut and Qairoon Hairiti, both at 20.3°C – reflecting the cooling grip of the monsoon over Dhofar's highlands and coast.
Temperatures run above average
The authority also reported that mean temperatures at several monitoring stations ran above their long-term July averages. Sur posted the largest positive deviation at +1.0°C with a mean of 34.9°C, followed by Rustaq at 36.9°C (+0.9), Buraimi at 38.0°C (+0.7), Sohar at 33.6°C (+0.4), Masirah at 27.5°C (+0.2) and Thumrait at 29.8°C (+0.1).
The CAA explained that deviation is measured as the amount by which an element departs from the monthly mean calculated from records accumulated over a long period, offering an indicator of how a given month compares with established climatic norms.
A record hour in Sur
Alongside the monthly figures, the authority highlighted a historic record from July 2021, when the observation station in Sur wilayat recorded 100.8mm of rain in a single hour – the highest hourly total in the station's history since hourly monitoring began there 23 years ago.
A comparative chart of the highest one-hour cumulative rainfall in July 2021 showed how far the Sur event outstripped other stations: Nakhl recorded 36.4mm, Al Kamil and Al Wafi 31.2mm, Seeb 28.0mm, Ras Al Hadd 26.4mm, Dima wa Al Taiyeen 24.6mm, Qalhat 23.4mm, Liwa 22.8mm, Yanqul 22.2mm, Thumrait 21.6mm and Al Awabi 20.4mm.
Such short-duration, high-intensity rainfall events are a key focus of the authority's monitoring network, given their implications for flash floods, wadi flows and urban drainage planning.