Climate zones in Israel, 1991 to 2020
Share of Israel's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 30,144 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 22,078 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 65%, C (temperate) 35%.
Israel has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, BWh (hot desert), covers only 45% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Csa (34%) and BSh (19%). 4 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 12% 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 Israel'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) | 24% | 5% | BWh +17.3 percentage points | BWk -5.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 6% | 1.5% | BWh +4.3 percentage points | BWk -2.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 12% | 4.5% | BWh +7.2 percentage points | Csa -4.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 25% | 14% | BWh +10 percentage points | Csa -14.1 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWh Hot desert | 27% | 45% | 49% | 52% | 55% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 39% | 34% | 33% | 30% | 20% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 24% | 19% | 18% | 18% | 25% |
| BWk Cold desert | 7.4% | 2.1% | - | - | - |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 2.1% | - | - | - | - |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Israel and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
Zones found in Israel
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.