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Intense summer heat to begin in UAE as Pleiades star rises on June 7
Al Jarwan said average temperatures usually range between 40°C and 43°C during the day, and between 28°C and 31°C at night
- PUBLISHED: Fri 5 Jun 2026, 9:49 AM
UAE skies will witness the annual rising of the Pleiades star cluster above the eastern horizon at dawn on June 7, marking the onset of intense summer heat.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, said the Pleiades, known locally as Al Thurayya, will appear from a direction known in the traditional Arab navigational compass as the "rising of the Pleiades", located about 25 degrees north of true east.
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"Arabs traditionally associated the dawn rising of the Pleiades with the beginning of the summer heat. They used to say that the summer heat lasts from the rising of the Pleiades until the rising of Suhail," Al Jarwan told WAM.
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According to the weather forecasters, the period known as the "rising of the Pleiades" lasts 13 days, from June 7 to June 19. The broader Pleiades season extends until July 2 and includes the appearance of both the Pleiades cluster and its follower, Aldebaran.
The season marks the beginning of summer and is followed by the periods known as Gemini, Al Marzam and Al Kulaibiyin. These stages are characterised by increasing heat, dryness and humidity. During the later part of summer, humid southeasterly winds known as Kous become active, creating exhausting weather conditions before temperatures gradually begin to ease with the rising of the star Suhail in late August.
Al Jarwan said average daytime temperatures during the period typically range between 40°C and 43°C, while nighttime temperatures average between 28°C and 31°C.
Summer is also marked by periodic heatwaves, known as Waghrat, during which temperatures rise at least 4°C above seasonal averages for two or more consecutive days. These heatwaves are often accompanied by northwesterly winds known as Al Bawarih, which can stir up dust and sand. Dry northerly and northwesterly Samoom winds may also become active during the season.
Astronomically, the Pleiades season coincides with the sun's approach to the Tropic of Cancer. The summer solstice, which falls on June 21, marks the sun's northernmost point in the sky, bringing the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Around the Tropic of Cancer, which passes through the southern regions of the UAE, midday shadows become minimal and may disappear entirely.
For farmers, the season traditionally signals the start of date harvesting. Expressions such as "Al Dhaid has reached summer" or "Al Ain has reached summer" were historically used to indicate the ripening of dates, with some regions entering the harvest season earlier than others.
