UAE: Suhail star season begins; scorching summer heat to decrease

Suhail, the UAE’s favourite star, has risen, signalling the end of peak summer heat. The celebrated star marks the beginning of the ‘Suhail’ season, which lasts for around 53 days, according to Abu Dhabi-based International Astronomical Centre.

Suhail lights up the hearts of Emiratis and expatriates in the country as they prepare for cooler temperatures.

Will temperatures go down from today?

The star indicates the end of peak summer, but that does not mean temperatures will magically go down.

Suhail has “absolutely nothing to do” with any weather changes on Earth, according to professor Hamid Al Naimiy, general director of Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST). Any changes that occur are seasonal ones, he said in an article on the academy’s website. “Its appearance coincides with the beginning of seasonal change.”

According to Hasan Al Hariri, CEO of Dubai Astronomy Group, the Suhail star sighting signals the season change accurately — that the UAE is transitioning from summer to autumn. “Gradually, the temperatures will come down,” he told Khaleej Times in an earlier interview.

The star is celebrated because nights tend to appear cooler after it is spotted.

What happens now?

A private astronomical observatory in the UAE, Al Sadeem, cautioned against “taking out your winter clothes yet”.

“Times have changed; the Earth has grown warmer and weather experts only estimate a tiny drop in the temperature in the coming days. That is until the end of September — when Suhail will rise to mid-level of the night sky — (then) the weather will drastically be much more bearable,” the observatory writes on its website.

As it stands now, daytime hours have reduced to less than 13. According to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society, days will become shorter and nights longer over the next few months, as the country progresses towards its winter season.

Professor Hamid Al Naimiy said the star’s appearance also coincides with the start of strong winds called ‘Habayeb Suhail’.

Have you seen the star?

Being the second-brightest star in the sky, Suhail is very easy to spot; all you need to do is wake up early. Look for a bright star towards the east before sunrise.

It will be visible till the end of winter.

An ancient calendar

The appearance of the Suhail star marks the beginning of an ancient Arab calendar called Drour that divides a year into segments of 10 days each.

The segments are grouped into three seasons of 100 days each — autumn, winter and spring. The remaining number of days — till the Suhail star is spotted again — marks the summer.

“People essentially did their jobs based on the calendar. Sailors and fishermen used it to decide when to venture out to the sea; traders for transporting goods; and healthcare workers to get the best medicinal herbs,” explained Al Hariri.

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