Qatar weather: what temperatures will England face at World Cup 2022 - forecast and conditions explained

England’s national football team have now touched down in Qatar and will have only a few days to aclimatise to the temperatures and humidity in the region before they begin their World Cup campaign on Monday. Their plane was emblazoned with Gay Pride logo in a staunch defiance of the Qatari’s state’s stance and attitudes towards homosexuality.

Since they won the bid to host back in 2009, Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup has instigated a long series of controversies and it will also mark the first time the tournament has taken place outside of the usual summer spot.

The state of Qatar has come under heavy criticism over reports of human rights violations. The treatment of their migrant workers has been consistently questioned and condemned while it’s also a country in which homosexuality is still illegal.

Australia released a video last month in which they detailed their concerns over the reported human rights violations and many other countries will make symbolic gestures in support of LGBTQ+ rights. Germany also took the opportunity of using their mode of transport as a way of sending a clear message as splashed across the side of the Lufthansa plane was a ‘Diversity Wins’ motif.

In the World Cup’s 90 year history, this will be the first time the tournament has been held in winter and has thus disrupted the domestic leagues, with the Premier League taking a six week break in the middle of its season. The summer temperatures in Qatar were deemed unacceptable for a football tournament and so the competition was moved.

Here is all you need to know about the weather and temperature in Qatar ...

What will the temperature be at the World Cup 2022?

The average temperature expected at the Qatar World Cup in November is likely to be in the region of 25C. Qatar has a desert climate with the country experiencing long summers from May to September with temperatures frequently reaching in the region of 45C. November is considered a ‘transitional’ month where the weather is still warm but not the excess heat that is seen in the summers.

There is a low chance of precipitation with the average amount of rainfall for November in the region of 5.3mm. WeatherSpark also gives the average daily chance of precipitation just 3%.

What are the summers like in Qatar?

If the World Cup had taken place in its usual summer spot, footballers would have to have contended with average temperatures of 37C with the lowest likely to have been 30C. It would also have seen absolutely no rainfall in the month either.

The decision to move the World Cup schedule was made in 2015 by Hassan al-Thawadi, head of the Qatar 2022 World Cup organising committee, and was announced by him and FIFA’s Secretary General Jerome Valcke at a press conference in 2015.

What is the weather for England’s first match?

Gareth Southgate’s squad will take on Iran in their first World Cup fixture on Monday 21 November 2022. Kick-off is scheduled for 1pm GMT and it will be hosted by the Khalifa International Stadium. BBC will be broadcasting England’s first fixture.

According to BBC Weather, the temperature is expected to be 27C from 11am onwards in Doha with zero chance of precipitation expected. Due to the humidity in the region and lack of significant wind, the temperature may well feel like 31C.