The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced its highest temperature of the summer season thus far, with the mercury hitting 49.9°C in Mezaira (Al Dhafra region) at 3:15 pm on Friday, as reported by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).
This peak comes on the summer solstice, marking the longest day of the year with up to 14 hours of daylight.
According to the Meteorology Department’s forecasts, internal areas were predicted to reach temperatures as high as 49°C for the day, accompanied by a humidity index potentially reaching 90%. The transition to astronomical summer typically occurs in the third week of June, coinciding with the summer solstice when the Earth’s pole is closest to the sun.
The UAE’s most intense summer period usually spans mid-July to late August, characterised by soaring temperatures, high humidity levels up to 90%, and occasional dust storms bringing strong winds and hot sand clouds sweeping across the city.