The temperature conditions for the year 1908 will serve very well to
further illustrate this phase of the climate of Algeria. No freezing
temperatures were reported from the coast stations, although at the
northern base of the Atlas of the Tell several degrees of frost were
recorded. At Blida, for example, the thermometer registered -4.0°
C. as the minimum. Away from the littoral at every station whose
records were seen the lowest temperatures were zero centigrade,
or below. The coldest weather was felt at Aflou, at the north base
of the Dj. Amours, of the Saharan Atlas, where -11.0° C. was
reported. The summer was warm along the coast and hot in the
interior. The records of temperature of 23 stations of the Tell
were seen, and of this number, at only 8 was a temperature of 40°
C. reached or exceeded. On the other hand, at 44 out of 56 stations
on the High Plateau and the desert, the temperatures reported are as
great or greater than 40° C. Where temperatures below this figure
were recorded the stations were situated in the mountains.
The western portion of the Sahara is apparently not so hot as the
eastern portion. The mean annual temperature for Biskra is 20.3° C.;
for Ghardaia it is 21° C.; for El Golea it is 22.2° C.; and for
Touggourt it is 23.4° C. The mean temperature at Cairo is 21.3°
C.; for Suez it is 21.5° C.; and for Djedda, on the Red Sea, it
is 27.3° C. The absolute maximum temperatures in southern Algeria
for as many years and for two of the most southern army posts, El
Golea and In Salah, are as follows: El Golea, 47°, 46.5°, 48°,
and 49.2° C.; In Salah, 50.0°, 49.2°, 50.2°, and 48° C.; at
Ouargla the maxima are 50.2°, 51°, 52°, 49°, and 48.4° C. On
account of the fact that in the western Sahara at these stations in
winter there are usually freezing temperatures, the yearly range
of temperature is 50.0° C., or over. The greatest range reported
for the western Sahara is that for Ghardaia as given by Engler,
namely, 57°, from -7° to 50° C. At Timmimoun, 1904, the range was
from -3.0° to 53.1° C., or one of 56.1° C. The extreme absolute
daily range in temperature on the desert appears not to exceed that
of certain stations on the High Plateau, although, as shown below,
the temperature variations on the desert may be much larger than the
records indicate. At Laghouat and at Ghardaia the thermometers which
I exposed showed a daily range of from 10.5° to 12.5° C. only. The
instruments were placed on the outside of buildings, and usually on
the second story. As a contrast to this observed diurnal variation,
an opportunity was given to take temperatures on the open desert at
a time when the days were fairly warm and the nights were rather
cold. The place was between Touggourt and Ouargla. At 3 o’clock
on the afternoon of November 26, 1910, the shade temperature at
the place in question was 23° C. During the night the thermometer
registered -1.7° C. as the minimum, thus showing a drop of 24.7°
C. in something over 12 hours.
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