It's official: Winter to begin on Sunday in UAE

Dubai - At 8.19am to be exact.

It's time to wear those sweaters, high-neck jackets, scarves, mittens and boots again as winter officially begins on Sunday, a senior weatherman at the National Center Meteorology (NCM) said.

"The cold season is ushered in by the winter solstice, when we will have the shortest day and the longest night of the year. This is also the time when the sun is at its farthest point south of the equator, which marks the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere (that includes the UAE) and summer in the Southern Hemisphere," Dr. Ahmed Habeeb, meteorologist at NCM, told Khaleej Times on Wednesday.

There will be a significant drop in temperature beginning December 22. The minimum temperature will average between 13-16 degrees Centigrade in the interior, 16-20 degrees Centigrade along the coast and it will be the coldest in the mountain region, including Jebel Jais, as the mercury drops to single digits between 5-8 degrees Centigrade, according to Habeeb.

At daytime, the temperature will peak between 23-26 degrees Centigrade in the inner lands, 22-24 degrees along the coastal areas and 10-14 degrees in the mountains.

It will be a cold and wet start to winter this year, in contrast to last year when it hardly rained in December, Habeeb added.

Before the formal onset of winter on Sunday, the weather forecast by the NCM for Thursday is partly cloudy to cloudy at times with a chance of rainfall over some costal areas and the northern emirates.

There is also a probability of some rainfall over some coastal and western areas on Friday and Saturday while it will be partly cloudy in general on Sunday.

Winter will last until March 21 next year and the coldest period in the country will be between the end of January until the start of February, the Habeeb said.

He also warned motorists of fog formation that will cause poor visibility at times from midnight until early or mid-morning.

Residents, who are planning to head to the mountains to experience cooler climate, are likewise advised to check for weather updates and be on alert as they pass by wadis for flash floods during the rains.

There will be rain in mountain areas and floods in wadis, so stay away and be alert of flash floods, Habeeb noted, adding that it seldom rained in December last year but it already rained heavily in the first two weeks of this month alone.

What is winter solstice?

Winter solstice is the 'shortest day' of the year. It happens every year when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.4 degrees or when the North Pole is tilted farthest away from the sun.

Winter Solstice usually falls on December 21 or 22 and the exact time when it starts varies each year. This year, the solstice begins on December 22 at exactly 4.19am UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) or 8.19am (UAE time).

angel@khaleejtimes.com