Geography and Climate
Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin (i.e. not of volcanic origin). The archipelago was once part of the supercontinent of Gondwana and detached during the Miocene, in the same set of rifting events that opened the Gulf of Aden to its northwest.
The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra (3,665 km2 (1,415 sq mi)), the three smaller islands of Abd al Kuri, Samhah and Darsa and small rock outcrops like Ka'l Fir'awn and Sābūnīyah that are uninhabitable by humans but important for seabirds.
The main island has three geographical terrains: the narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau permeated with karstic caves, and the Haghier Mountains. The mountains rise to 1,503 metres (4,931 ft). The island is about 125 kilometres (78 mi) long and 45 kilometres (28 mi) north to south.
The climate of Socotra is classified in the Köppen climate classification as BWh and BSh, meaning a tropical desert climate and semi-desert climate with a mean annual temperature over 25 °C (78 °F). Yearly rainfall is light, but is fairly spread throughout the year. Generally the higher inland areas receive more rain than the coastal lowlands, due to orographic lift provided by the interior mountains. The monsoon season brings strong winds and high seas. For many centuries, the sailors of Gujarat called the maritime route near Socotra as "Sikotro Sinh", meaning the lion of Socotra, that constantly roars—referring to the high seas near Socotra.
| Climate data for Socotra | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 27.2 (81) |
28.5 (83.3) |
30.5 (86.9) |
32.7 (90.9) |
34.2 (93.6) |
33.9 (93) |
32.0 (89.6) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.7 (90.9) |
31.4 (88.5) |
29.8 (85.6) |
28.0 (82.4) |
31.1 (87.98) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.0 (71.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
25.1 (77.2) |
27.5 (81.5) |
28.9 (84) |
29.0 (84.2) |
27.6 (81.7) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.6 (81.7) |
26.0 (78.8) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
25.96 (78.73) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 16.8 (62.2) |
18.3 (64.9) |
19.8 (67.6) |
22.2 (72) |
23.7 (74.7) |
24.1 (75.4) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.8 (73) |
22.6 (72.7) |
20.6 (69.1) |
18.7 (65.7) |
17.5 (63.5) |
20.86 (69.55) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 23 (0.91) |
18 (0.71) |
14 (0.55) |
22 (0.87) |
37 (1.46) |
18 (0.71) |
12 (0.47) |
15 (0.59) |
27 (1.06) |
38 (1.5) |
18 (0.71) |
16 (0.63) |
258 (10.16) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.0 mm) | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 6.0 | 9.7 | 9.3 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 52.7 |
| % humidity | 20 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 25.2 |
| Source: Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia | |||||||||||||
Read more about this topic: Socotra Archipelago
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