Authorities in the UAE have urged the public to avoid direct exposure to the sun. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Authorities in the UAE have urged the public to avoid direct exposure to the sun. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Authorities in the UAE have urged the public to avoid direct exposure to the sun. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Authorities in the UAE have urged the public to avoid direct exposure to the sun. Chris Whiteoak / The National

What is causing the record high temperatures in the UAE?


Daniel Bardsley
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE is experiencing record breaking heat this month, with residents facing temperatures in excess of 50°C, according to the National Centre of Meteorology.

Sweltering heat recorded in Sweihan recently at 51.6°C has smashed the record for the highest temperature in the month of May in the UAE, which was reported the previous day when it reached 50.4°C in Abu Dhabi emirate.

Before then, the peak for the month was 50.2°C in 2009.

The National Centre of Meteorology has in recent days reminded the public to drink lots of fluids, avoid direct exposure to the sun, ensure children are not left in cars and also to make sure pets have plenty to drink.

Here, we look at the record temperatures and consider what factors could be behind them.

What temperature records have been broken?

Saturday was the second record-breaking day in a row, with the UAE having past its all-time record for May on Friday, when a temperature of 50.4°C was reached in Abu Dhabi.

The extreme temperatures are more akin to what might be expected at the height of summer, which does not officially begin until June 21.

Saturday’s record was barely shy of the highest reported temperature for any time of year since records began more than two decades ago. That peak was set in Al Yasat Island in Abu Dhabi emirate in 2010, when thermometers reached a sizzling 52°C.

.
.

This month’s record temperatures come hot on the heels of the UAE recording its warmest April, with the average high last month being 42.6°C.

“The new thing about these conditions is that they are happening really too early, before even the official start of the summer season. The second element is how extreme they are compared to the record,” said Dr Diana Francis, an assistant professor and head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (Engeos) lab at Khalifa University.

How is climate change affecting the region?

Climate change may be playing a role in both the UAE’s record temperatures as well as the region's escalating weather, especially given that previous research has indicated the gulf is heating up especially quickly.

Campaign group Greenpeace MENA is drawing awareness to the issue, after temperatures in Kuwait remained close to 50°C throughout the week, Morocco issued an official heatwave alert for several provinces, and Iraq and Egypt grappled with an intense increase in temperature.

"These conditions are no longer rare; they are the new normal in a region heating at nearly twice the global average. These extreme temperatures have arrived earlier than ever, as Hajj season is about to start," said regional campaigns lead, Kenzie Azmi.

"Even though our region is not historically responsible for the problem, we are among those suffering the most."

In 2022, Greenpeace published a report, Living on the Edge: The Implications of Climate Change for Six Countries in the Middle East and North Africa Region, which stated temperatures were “warming nearly twice as fast as the global average”.

At the time the report was released, Kathryn Miller, a science consultant for Greenpeace Research Laboratories, said that, while there was “considerable variability in weather patterns year on year”, a trend had become evident in the Mena region. “It’s now clear that the region as a whole is warming fast, with an accelerated rate of 0.4°C per decade since the 1980s,” she said.

Climate analysts in the UAE have said this year that summer in the country now lasts about 10 days longer than it used to. It is forecast in future to last for about half the year.

“What we are seeing is in line with our findings showing longer summers to be expected under global warming,” Dr Francis said. “This shift in season duration can be exacerbated by a short heatwave induced by changes to the general circulation due to global warming.

“We have to wait and see if what we are witnessing currently in the UAE is a heatwave on top of the increase in global average temperatures due to excessive greenhouse gases.”

Are other factors having an effect?

A climatic effect called the Arabian Heat Low, typically experienced in summer, is partly responsible for the ultra-high temperatures in Sweihan, Dr Francis said.

She said the ending in 2024 of El Nino, a warm period caused by changes to water circulation in the Pacific Ocean, had brought “the level of rain in the UAE to almost zero in 2025”.

“With dry soil during the whole spring, like in the case of Sweihan, the development of the summer weather feature responsible for heat, called the Arabian Heat Low, came early this year,” she said.

“It is now well developed and in intensity resembles an AHL of a July month, not May, hence the temperatures are resembling July, too.”

Feeling the heat in Sweihan

Sweihan is no stranger to extreme heat, with the town having recorded a sweltering temperature of 51.8°C in June 2021.

In response to the conditions, one long-time resident, Syrian citizen Tareef Otham, told The National at the time that being outside “felt like I was inside an oven”.

Being inland is one reason why Sweihan is especially likely to face extremes of temperature. Land heats up faster than the sea, so being further from the coast means that the Arabian Gulf has less of a moderating influence on the temperature. Coastal cities tend to be marginally cooler than those inland, although they can be more uncomfortable because of higher levels of humidity.

By contrast, during the winter, inland areas are often cooler than coastal regions, because the sea is typically warmer than the land during colder times of the year, as it has not cooled down so fast.

Are recent temperatures close to world records?

While Sweihan has been facing temperatures that are very hot even for the Gulf region, the peaks remain significantly short of world beating.

The highest temperature recorded on Earth was 56.7°C in Death Valley in the US on July 10, 1913, according to Guinness World Records. It states that some climatologists “have cast doubt” on this result, although it remains the official record. In recent years, temperatures of 54.4°C have been recorded twice at the Furnace Creek Visitor Centre in Death Valley.

A temperature of 58°C was recorded in Al Azizia in Libya in 1922, although that result was discredited by the World Meteorological Organisation in 2012. It said the figure may have been inflated because, for example, it was recorded near an asphalt-like surface that heats up faster than the desert soil.

The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Healthy tips to remember

Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:

Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast

Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits

Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day

Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet

The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008

Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km

JAPAN SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Asia%20Cup%202022
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhat%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAsia%20Cup%20final%3A%20Sri%20Lanka%20v%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhen%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESunday%2C%20September%2011%2C%20from%206pm%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhere%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EDubai%20International%20Stadium%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHow%20to%20watch%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ECatch%20the%20live%20action%20on%20Starzplay%20across%20Mena%20region.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule

August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland

Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE

December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman

February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG

June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland

September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal

February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

The specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: nine-speed

Power: 542bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh848,000

On sale: now

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate

Final: June 1, Madrid

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 720hp

Torque: 770Nm

Price: Dh1,100,000

On sale: now

The Specs

Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)

Torque: 730Nm

Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS) 

What is Genes in Space?

Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.

It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration. 

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Date: Sunday, November 25

Sugary teas and iced coffees

The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.

For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Updated: May 27, 2025, 1:10 PM