Dubai: Time to say goodbye to summer? According to the Emirates Astronomy Society, the Autumnal Equinox, or the Fall Equinox, will take place this Friday, September 23.
Ibrahim Al-Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society said: "The Autumnal Equinox will take place on Friday, September 23, 2022, at 5.04am. The Fall Equinox is considered an astronomical event that marks the start of autumn.
The word “equinox” comes from the Latin word equi, meaning “equal” and nox, meaning “night”. It marks the two events of the year, in March and September, when the sun is exactly above the equator and the day and night are of equal length.
"The phenomenon occurs when the sun aligns perpendicular to the equator heading towards the south, so the length of the daytime becomes equal to the nighttime, then nighttime begins to increase," Al-Jarwan added.
Even though autumn will officially start, it won’t be until the beginning of October before residents start noticing a change in temperature.
Maximum temperature across the UAE are currently between 41°C to 45°C. A gradual decrease in temperatures is expected, with maximum temperatures decreasing by 2 to 3 degrees starting Friday.
According to the National Center of Meteorology: "The month of September is considered as the last month of summer, where temperatures start to decrease especially during night. September 23 marks the beginning of the autumnal equinox when the sun is directly perpendicular to the equator and then moves south towards the Tropic of Capricorn."
In the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday, the NCM added: "the weather in the UAE will be humid over some coastal areas with a probability of fog or mist foramtion in the morning. Convective clouds are also expected to form over the east coast. Moderate winds are expected to blow dust at times."
