Palestine's Climate, British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 105.

CHAPTER III.

6. Of the total land area, urban areas account for 147 square kms; built on areas for 7Q square kms.; and roads, railways, rivers and lakes for l.36 square kms. The Huleh concession area (in the Safad sub-district) is approximately 57 square kms. Over 10,000 square kms. in the Beersheba district are classified as uncultivable.

1 Climate.

7. Palestine has a transitory climate between the Mediterranean and the desert type. The summer is hot but made comfortable in most parts of the country by westerly winds from the Mediterranean. The transitory seasons are characterized by occasional dry and very hot. weather, often combined with easterly desiccating winds. The winter is the rainy season lasting approximately from October to April: between December and February is the time of maximal rainfall. The annual rainfall ranges widely throughout, the country and in different years, the average for Jerusalem being 583 mms. Comparative figures are given below.

8. Palestine can be divided into four climatic regions :

(i) The coastal plain. Warm and moist in summer: mild in winter and tempered by westerly winds from the Mediterranean. Relatively small daily and annual range of temperature. Rainfall plenty.

(ii) The hills. Cooler and dryer in summer: cold in winter.

Larger daily and annual range of temperature. Rainfall

plenty.

(iii) The Jordan valley. Hot and dry, without tempering west winds in summer. Moderate in temperature and humidity in the winter. Large daily and annual range of temperature. Rainfall scarce.

(iv) The Negeb. The desert to the south from Beersheba to Aqaba. Hot and dry in summer; cold and dry in winter. Large daily and annual range of temperature. Rainfall poor.

9. The following tables are illustrative of the climatic regimes in each of these regions.

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