RAMALLAH, Wednesday, March 22, 2023 (WAFA) – On the occasion of World Meteorological Day (WMD), which coincides on March 23 of every year, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Palestinian Meteorological Directorate (PMD) today said in a joint press release that this year’s rain season was less than the mean average in most governorates. Data showed that the highest amount of rainfall during the current rain season was 484 mm in Salfit Governorate (which represented 69.3% of the mean average of the governorate), whereas the lowest amount of rainfall during the current rain season was 92.1 mm in Jericho Governorate (which represented 55.5% of the mean average of the governorate). Data showed that the annual relative humidity in 2021 ranged between 75% in Nablus Station and 42% in Jericho Station. Data also showed that the total evaporation in Palestine during 2021 increased in the majority of available stations, where it reached its highest (2,847 mm) in Jericho Station and its lowest (1,825 mm) in Nablus Station. PMD data showed that air temperatures in 2021 were higher than the mean average by 3.4°C in Tulkarm and Jericho stations. This significant rise in air temperatures is due to Palestine being affected by heat waves during the months of July, August and October, where the effect of which was greater on the mountainous, coastal and semi-coastal areas; hence, it made the temperature rise in these areas reaching higher percentages from their mean average. Thus, those heat waves were accompanied by a marked increase in humidity levels in the same areas.
Source: Palestine News & Information Agency