Veteran of Iraq here. I never experienced those temp drops in two deployments. 50 degrees maybe [110 to 60 at night or 80 to 30] but never 120 to sub 30.
Veterans of Iraq and Others: The writer speaks of conditions in the Sahara, not in Mesopotamia. Tarzan is somewhere in the Sahara Desert ecoregion. The following, FWIW, comes from the Wikipedia article on that topic.The Sahara desert generally features an arid climate. The Sahara desert is one of the hottest regions of the world, with a mean temperature over 30 °C (86 °F). Daily variations may also be extreme: a swing from 37.5 to -0.5 °C (100 to 31 °F) has been observed.1 The Sahara receives very little rain in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone which moves up from the south.1 Wind and sand storms occur as soon as early spring. Local inhabitants protect themselves from heat, cold and mostly wind and sand by covering their heads, such as the cheche worn by Tuareg.Other articles mention that it can get much hotter in the day during the summer in those countries; 120 d. F. would be about par for the course (118 was actually mentioned somewhere).
SashaW about 11 years ago
Camels have been roaming the desert, for a long time.
Polsixe about 11 years ago
100 degrees? So it goes below freezing at night? You can’t do a desert story without an oasis, figs, dates, a pond for a refreshing dip.
bigbluephrog about 11 years ago
Polsixe, just ask any veteran of Iraq…it is not unusual to have day time temps in the 120s and nights in the 30s.
Dean about 11 years ago
It is a mirage.
Galimatias about 11 years ago
The camel doesn’t know the reward that the giraffe got.
titus_groan about 11 years ago
Veteran of Iraq here. I never experienced those temp drops in two deployments. 50 degrees maybe [110 to 60 at night or 80 to 30] but never 120 to sub 30.
waykirk about 11 years ago
Thanks for your service troopers. I wish all of you well.
It was hot in RVN in the old days, as I recall.
The old Sarge
Rakkav about 11 years ago
Veterans of Iraq and Others: The writer speaks of conditions in the Sahara, not in Mesopotamia. Tarzan is somewhere in the Sahara Desert ecoregion. The following, FWIW, comes from the Wikipedia article on that topic.The Sahara desert generally features an arid climate. The Sahara desert is one of the hottest regions of the world, with a mean temperature over 30 °C (86 °F). Daily variations may also be extreme: a swing from 37.5 to -0.5 °C (100 to 31 °F) has been observed.1 The Sahara receives very little rain in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone which moves up from the south.1 Wind and sand storms occur as soon as early spring. Local inhabitants protect themselves from heat, cold and mostly wind and sand by covering their heads, such as the cheche worn by Tuareg.Other articles mention that it can get much hotter in the day during the summer in those countries; 120 d. F. would be about par for the course (118 was actually mentioned somewhere).
Rakkav about 11 years ago
All that said, our narrative is being painted in extremely broad strokes! :)