The monsoon winds

The monsoon winds

There are two annual monsoons the south-west monsoon, which kicks up high seas around the island from early June to early October (this moon soon brings occasionally heavy rains in June), has created a physical barrier to access by sea since earliest times.

These intercontinental stratospheric winds blow from Africa towards the Himalaya mountains, bringing the wet to India. But as they pass over Socotra they are caught by the nearly 5000 feet high Hagghier mountains and dragged fiercely down over the northern coast.

The wind blows on the north coast, non-stop, day and night, for three months at approximately 90 kilometers per hour with some gusts at 180 kph, in the area of Hadibo, between Howlaf and Mori.

May delivers a smaller amount of precipitation. The annual rainfall varies between 130 to 170 mm/hour. Even during the calmer months sea landings may still be difficult due to a combination of logistical problems, including the absence of adequate harbor facilities. But since 1999 with the building of a new airstrip (the longest in the Yemen), which is built facing into the monsoon winds, the Boeing planes are now able to land all the year round. So as tourists you can come to Socotra at any time, depending on what you want to experience.