Climate zones in Palestine, 1991 to 2020
Share of Palestine's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 8,325 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 6,067 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 61%, B (arid) 39%.
Csa, hot-summer mediterranean, is the main climate of Palestine, covering 61% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)) next at 38%. In plain terms, hot-summer mediterranean means dry, hot summers and mild, wetter winters. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 18% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert).
How Palestine's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 15% | 13% | BSh +14.9 percentage points | Csa -13.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 7.7% | 4.5% | BWh +2.9 percentage points | Csa -3.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 18% | 11% | BWh +6.2 percentage points | Csa -11.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 34% | 23% | BSh +12.9 percentage points | Csa -23.1 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 75% | 61% | 57% | 50% | 38% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 24% | 38% | 40% | 44% | 51% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.5% | 0.3% | - | - | - |
| BWh Hot desert | 1.4% | - | 2.9% | 6.3% | 11% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Palestine
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Csa. See data sources and licences.