Winter in UAE to begin on December 21: Astronomer

The UAE’s winter season will start on Monday, December 21, at exactly 2.03pm (UAE time), an astronomer has said.

Ibrahim Al Jarwan, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, said the sun reaches its most southerly declination on December 21-22 every year. Technically, this marks the beginning of the winter, state news agency Wam quoted Jarwan as saying.

The season is ushered in by the winter solstice, which sees the shortest day and the longest night of the year. This year, the solstice is on December 21.

In the Arabian Peninsula, the temperature in winter from mid-December to mid-February will be under 15°C. It could even dip below 5°C in some areas.

As Khaleej Times reported, the summer season in the UAE ended on September 21. Since then, the country has been in a transition phase to winter.

Temperatures have already dropped significantly across the country in recent weeks. According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), the UAE recorded a cool 6.1°C on Sunday morning at the Jebel Jais.

The UAE has launched a tourism campaign called the 'World's Coolest Winter', which invites residents to discover the country's hidden gems.

As he announced the campaign on Sunday, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: “The UAE's winter is the most beautiful in the world. The UAE has the most beautiful winter, the most beautiful people, and the most beautiful services."

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi