Hot spell to continue in UAE until northwest winds arrive

Al Ain" The heatwave continues with the mercury rising in most cities with relatively high humidity in coastal areas.

The temperature has dropped a few degrees with the start of north-westerly winds, but is still beyond 45C in all major UAE cities.

People in Al Ain have currently been braving the hottest spell of the year with the mercury shooting up to 49C. Over the last two days, the actual temperature has gone beyond 50C in Al Ain as a difference of around three degrees exists between official and actual temperatures

"Our monitoring is as per the requirements of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)," said a National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) official.

The censoring apparatus has been placed under the shades of a screen to meet WMO standards that shows almost three degrees less in temperature, he said.

The UAE has a highest maximum temperature of 52C (55C in the open) that was recorded in 2002 in the western region of Abu Dhabi, according to the NCMS. July is one of the harshest months in the country.

"We expect the current heatwave will continue for the next few days," said the weatherman, adding that a strong north-westerly wind will drop the mercury a little.