UAE | Environment
Temperatures reach 50C in desert cities
Hot and hazy weather is continuing across the country, with temperatures jumping to highs and the ground temperature rising to 50 Celsius in Al Ain and other desert cities. There are also strong, dusty winds in some areas.
- By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 22:48 July 2, 2009
- Residents endure the heat as they wait for buses in Deira. On Thursday almost all cities in the UAE experienced 75 to 80 per cent humidity.
- Image Credit: Javed Nawab/Gulf News
Al Ain: Hot and hazy weather is continuing across the country, with temperatures jumping to highs and the ground temperature rising to 50 Celsius in Al Ain and other desert cities. There are also strong, dusty winds in some areas.
The official maximum temperature reading for Al Ain, Liwa and Ras Al Khaimah yesterday was 48C, showing the extremely hot conditions.
Meteorologists report only the atmospheric temperature, which is always two to three degrees less than the ground temperature.
The level of humidity has also increased in the evenings, making the conditions tougher, particularly in coastal cities.
On Thursday, almost all cities experienced a maximum of 75 to 80 per cent humidity.
Meteorologists have attributed the conditions to the heat cyclones in the Empty Quarter. The heat cyclones, said a forecaster, are a normal phenomenon in the region in July and August and south-easterly and south-westerly winds bring in the heat from these cyclones to the UAE.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology, the tough conditions will continue as the weather will remain hot and hazy in general all over the country. There will be some scattered clouds during the daytime in the next 48 hours and the weather will be humid at night and hazy by early morning.
The south-easterly winds will blow at six to 12 knots in the morning and night, but they would change their direction in the afternoon and evening to north-west and north-east. In this direction, the winds are also expected to gain some speed, reaching eight to 14 knots. The bright sunlight has also increased the UV radiation and experts said people must be aware of its dangers when going out for their daily work.
According to an expert at UAE Meteorology Department, the maximum UV radiation in the UAE is recorded in July and August. It falls to its minimum in December.
The peak radiation time is noon.
Have you been feeling the heat lately? Are you considering going on vacation to escape the heat? What have you been doing to keep yourself cool?
Do you have photos of the hot weather? Send them to us by clicking here.
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