UAE summer heat to gradually ease as Suhail rises on August 24

Dubai: The UAE and central Arabian Peninsula will witness the first seasonal appearance of the Suhail star on August 24, traditionally marking the gradual easing of the intense summer heat and the transition towards milder weather.

Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, said temperatures typically begin a gradual decline after August 20.

However, hot conditions generally persist until the end of September, accompanied by high humidity and the formation of morning fog.

Al Jarwan said Suhail’s appearance has long been associated in Arab tradition with seasonal changes. Farmers begin preparing for the coming agricultural season, while fish move closer to the coast as sea temperatures gradually decline.

The period also marks the beginning of Al Safriya, traditionally regarded as the first of the milder seasons and a time when beneficial rainfall is anticipated.

Suhail, known scientifically as Canopus, is the second-brightest star in the night sky after Sirius. From August 24, it can be seen shortly before dawn above the south-eastern horizon in central parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

Al Jarwan said the star can be spotted about 40 minutes before sunrise, close to the south-eastern horizon. Its appearance follows an absence of about three and a half months after it disappeared below the south-western horizon in early May.

Because Canopus lies far south in the sky, it is difficult to see from many areas north of latitude 38 degrees. In the Arabian Peninsula, however, its annual appearance has been used for centuries as an important seasonal astronomical marker, appearing in southern areas before becoming visible farther north.

Canopus is about 310 light-years from Earth, meaning the light visible today began its journey roughly 310 years ago.