The climax of discomfort is attained somewhere about the middle of August, but it is well on in October before any very decided improvement sets in, the hot weather being thus prolonged far on into the autumn. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that cases of heat apoplexy are far from uncommon, but fortunately there is comparatively little malaria, though digestive disturbances arising from the brackishness of drinking water are naturally rather common. There is nothing like the proportion of cases of eye diseases that is to be met with in Egypt, but the intense glare and the sparseness of the vegetation make the use of neutral-tinted spectacles very advisable.
The following table of the temperature and rainfall of Bushire (Abusher) will serve as a sufficient example of the climate of the Dashtistan generally:—
| Month | Mean Maximum Temperature | Mean Minimum Temperature | Relative Humidity | Rainfall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F. | C. | F. | C. | Ins. | Mm. | ||
| January | 65·2 | 18·4 | 52·0 | 11·1 | 79 | 3·39 | 86·2 |
| February | 66·0 | 18·9 | 52·5 | 11·4 | 80 | 2·51 | 63·7 |
| March | 72·6 | 22·5 | 58·2 | 14·5 | 72 | 0·87 | 21·7 |
| April | 84·6 | 29·3 | 66·1 | 18·9 | 61 | 0·58 | 15·1 |
| May | 89·8 | 32·0 | 75·3 | 24·1 | 60 | 0·02 | 0·5 |
| June | 92·2 | 33·4 | 80·3 | 26·8 | 61 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 95·5 | 35·3 | 84·0 | 28·9 | 65 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 96·5 | 35·8 | 83·6 | 28·7 | 64 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 94·2 | 34·5 | 78·8 | 26·0 | 65 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 87·9 | 31·0 | 70·7 | 21·5 | 65 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 78·0 | 25·6 | 62·1 | 16·8 | 74 | 2·16 | 54·7 |
| December | 69·7 | 20·9 | 55·5 | 13·1 | 73 | 3·98 | 101·3 |
The Dashtistan forms, however, a very small percentage of the area of Persia, as its level plain is abruptly succeeded by the mountains, which rise, terrace over terrace, to a height of 5,000 to 6,000 feet, and once the plateau of Fars is reached the traveller finds himself in surroundings which, although suffering a good deal from the scarcity of water, have much to recommend them in the purity and dryness of the air, and which would no doubt be thoroughly healthy under a decently sanitary régime. At present the country is out of the question for purposes of health, as one requires to be pretty “hard bitten” to get about it at all; but assuming the introduction of the amenities of civilisation there can be little doubt as to its suitability for the treatment of pulmonary disorders; and even as matters stand, I cannot recall meeting with cases of tuberculous disease amongst the natives of the country.
Owing to the very different levels, it is difficult to give any general idea of the climate, but the climate of two of the principal towns given below must suffice as a sufficient example.
| Month | Teheran. Lat. 85° 41′ N.;Long. 57° 25′ E. E.F., 3,700; E.M., 1,130. | Ispahan. Lat. 32° 38′ N.; Long. 57°40′ E. E.F., 5,000; E.M., 1,530. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Maximum Temperature | Mean Minimum Temperature | Rainfall | Mean Maximum Temperature | Mean Minimum Temperature | Rainfall | |||||||
| F. | C. | F. | C. | Ins. | Mm. | F. | C. | F. | C. | Ins. | Mm. | |
| January | 42·3 | 5·7 | 26·2 | -3·2 | 1·17 | 29·6 | 46·5 | 8·1 | 23·1 | -5 | 0·21 | 5.2 |
| February | 52·1 | 11·2 | 32·9 | -0·5 | 0·85 | 21·6 | 54·3 | 12·3 | 29·2 | -1·6 | 0·21 | 5·2 |
| March | 57·2 | 14·0 | 38·4 | 3·5 | 2·44 | 62·1 | 61·0 | 16·1 | 36·2 | 2·3 | 0·83 | 20·8 |
| April | 71·4 | 21·8 | 49·9 | 9·9 | 0·87 | 21·7 | 73·1 | 22·9 | 45·7 | 7·6 | 0·60 | 15·2 |
| May | 82·9 | 28·2 | 59·4 | 15·2 | 0·41 | 10·3 | 84·1 | 29·0 | 54·1 | 12·3 | 0·10 | 2·5 |
| June | 94·4 | 34·6 | 67·1 | 19·5 | 0·04 | 1·2 | 94·4 | 34·6 | 61·9 | 16·6 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 98·4 | 36·8 | 72·1 | 22·3 | 0·35 | 8·9 | 98·4 | 36·8 | 66·3 | 19·1 | 0·05 | 1·3 |
| August | 96·7 | 35·9 | 70·7 | 21·5 | 0·04 | 1·2 | 95·5 | 35·3 | 61·5 | 16·4 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 90·7 | 32·6 | 64·9 | 18·2 | 0·11 | 2·6 | 90·4 | 32·4 | 55·1 | 12·9 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 77·5 | 25·3 | 54·0 | 12·2 | 0·14 | 3·7 | 77·4 | 25·2 | 44·4 | 6·9 | 0·27 | 6·5 |
| November | 61·4 | 16·3 | 42·2 | 5·7 | 1·17 | 29·6 | 61·9 | 16·6 | 35·9 | 2·1 | 0·84 | 21·5 |
| December | 57·3 | 14·1 | 33·9 | 0·5 | 1·33 | 34·0 | 52·3 | 11·3 | 29·2 | -1·7 | 0·47 | 12·0 |
| Year | 73·0 | 22·8 | 57·0 | 10·6 | 8·92 | 227·0 | 74·1 | 23·4 | 45·2 | 7·3 | 3·58 | 90·3 |
The better rainfall of Teheran is no doubt due to its proximity to the Caspian, but in both places the climate is typically continental, both the daily and annual ranges of temperature being very considerable.
The climate of Beluchistan resembles closely that of Persia in its general characters, but owing to the generally lower level of the country the temperature is necessarily higher, approaching that of the Dashtistan.
Arabian Peninsula.
—With the exception of Muskat, which does not differ very markedly from the other Gulf ports, we have no reliable information as to the climate of Arabia proper, beyond the fact that it is a hot and arid land. The climate of the southern coast is, however, much more tolerable than that of the Persian Gulf, owing to the influence of the south-western monsoon, during the worst months.