Fri, Nov 14, 2025 | Jumada al-Awwal 23, 1447 | Fajr 05:15 | DXB weather-sun.svg30.1°C

UAE temperatures hit 51.8°C as peak summer heat intensifies

Until August 10, summer heat is expected to reach its peak, accompanied by hot, dry, and dusty desert winds

Published: Fri 1 Aug 2025, 5:27 PM

Updated: Fri 1 Aug 2025, 6:56 PM

UAE temperatures rose to its highest level so far this year on Friday, August 1, with the mercury soaring to a sweltering 51.8°C, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said.

The mercury rose to this record threshold in Al Ain's Sweihan at 3pm, it added. Long before summer peaked in the UAE, temperatures soared to a scorching 51.6°C on May 24 also in Sweihan.

Weather conditions in the country are expected to get even hotter with the arrival of the Al Mirzam period, which falls between July 29 and August 10 and is considered the hottest period in the country.

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Until August 10, extremely hot conditions are expected to be accompanied by severe dry winds, known as 'samum' in arabic — which refers to hot, dry, and dusty desert winds.

This period is also known as 'Waghrat al-Qayz', which is when intensely dry heat waves hit the region.

During this period, residents are advised to avoid going out during peak hours due to extreme heat from morning to sunset, and stay in cool places during the day.

Despite these sweltering conditions, some parts of the country saw light rains, hail and strong winds, urging many to wonder this unstable weather conditions and contradictory patterns

Experts say that these weather conditions constitute patterns that are expected to continue intermittently. “This is a normal phenomenon happening around this time of the year,” said Dr Ahmed Habib, meteorologist at the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).

“It typically occurs from mid-July to mid-August, with alternating days of active weather and light or no rainfall,” he added.

According to the veteran meteorologist, the recent weather activity is linked to a combination of atmospheric systems, including a low-pressure system moving in from the East, moisture-laden air from the Arabian Sea, and the northward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).