SALALAH – Dhofar Khareef (monsoon) season 2024 will astronomically begin tomorrow, Friday June 21. The tropical wet season prevails most intensely in the coastal wilayats of Dhofar Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman.
The climatic condition begins when monsoon winds and rain clouds accumulate over the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean and move westwards into the Sultanate of Oman.
Once conditions are ripe, the damp spell of the monsoon extends gradually in the governorate, from the Wilayat of Dhalkout in the west to the Wilayat of Mirbat in the east. Though they arrive from the east of Dhofar, the monsoon clouds condense in the upper layers of the atmosphere over the western hills and eventually burst in the nearest land areas, namely in Dhalkout. Then, the rainy pattern moves eastwards. The season continues until 21 September every year.
In stark contrast to other parts in Oman, the monsoon season is characterized by moderate temperatures, which drop further in the high mountainous areas that are shrouded in fog, accompanied with light rains. This makes Dhofar Governorate a destination for visitors from Oman and tourists from different countries of the world.
During the Khareef, Dhofar turns into a paradise of lush green dells, hills and plains that experience daily light rains and intermittent drizzle.
In the meantime, the springs in Dhofar get replenished and turn into tourist hotspots. These include the springs of Razat, Hamran, Jarziz, Sahalnout and Tabruk. Once they receive enough water supplies, the springs overflow, making waterfalls that are common during the month of August. Large waterfalls include those of Darbat, Athoum, Koor and Jawjab. This is in addition to Al Hawta Waterfall in the Wilayat of Rakhyut.
Dhofar Governorate stands out for the diversity of its terrain ranging from marine and agricultural plains to mountainous and desert environments.
Dhofar Governorate also boasts a variety of archaeological and historical sites that are registered in the World Heritage List, notably Al Baleed and Samharam Archaeological Parks, the Land of Frankincense Museum and historical forts in the wilayats of Rakhyout, Taqah, Mirbat and Sadah.
Urban features in Dhofar include shopping centre in the city of Salalah where tourists and visitors gather to collect frankincense, silver and pottery products, Omani halwa sweets. The city abounds with restaurants serving traditional Omani foods.
Beyond urban areas, in Salalah Plain for example, the visitors and tourists get access to a wide range of agricultural products of a tropical nature. These include coconuts, bananas, papayas and sugarcanes.
The visitors and tourists also find themselves in place to explore the Governorate of Dhofar’s exotic creeks, natural reserves and rich animal and marine resources.
In backdrop of this exceptional weather, government institutions and private establishments continue to extend services to groups of tourists who throng the hotels and other facilities during this time of the year.
It is worth noting that the number of visitors to the Dhofar Governorate during Khareef monsoon season 2023 increased by 18.4 percent to about 962,000 who collectively spent a total of RO 103 million, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
(ONA)
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