UAE: Suhail star effect? Rains reported; temperatures to decrease

Hours after the Suhail star was spotted in the UAE skies, rains have lashed parts of the country.

The Emirates Astronomy Society reported the sighting of the much-anticipated star at dawn on Wednesday. The star signals the end of the sweltering summer heat.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) reported light to moderate rains over Al Ain on Wednesday afternoon. The authority shared a video of rains lashing the Dubai-Al Ain road:

The NCM had earlier forecast convective clouds eastward and southward with chances of rain. It also predicted the night to be humid, with "a probability of fog or mist formation westward" on Thursday morning.

Friday is predicted to be dusty and partly cloudy, with temperatures likely to "decrease gradually". Rains have been forecast for Saturday.

Strikingly, these weather forecasts are in line with what is mentioned in the ancient Arab calendar called Drour. The Suhail star marks the beginning of the calendar that details what to expect each time stars signal the start of seasons.

The Suhail star signals that the UAE is transitioning from summer to autumn. "Gradually, the temperatures will come down," Hasan Al Hariri, CEO, Dubai Astronomy Group, told Khaleej Times in a recent interview.

Nights tend to appear cooler after the star is spotted.

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Ibrahim Al Jarwan, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, said on Twitter recently that the Suhail star marks a shift in the weather.

"The emergence of the Suhail star coincides with mild weather and low temperatures with high humidity southeasterly winds blowing, forming low clouds along the eastern slopes of Hajar Mountains in Oman and the UAE, which may be accompanied by rains," he said.

• Dubai