Summer in the UAE looks like it is coming to an end, with the Suhail star expected next week.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society, confirmed to The National the first seasonal sighting of the star will be on Monday, August 24.
The appearance of the Suhail signifies the end of peak summer, with temperatures cooling by a few degrees as September begins. However, being outside will not necessarily be more pleasant than in previous months due to increasing humidity.
Average temperatures will fall slightly in September but this slight cooling is more than balanced out by greater levels of humidity.
The rising of the Suhail star in the southern sky is a celestial event tracked by astronomers across the region. Symbolically, it marks the end of the extreme heat of peak summer and heralds the approach of cooler conditions. The night “cools down” when “Suhail rises”, according to Arab folklore.
Seasonal temperatures
Between 1991 and 2020, average temperatures in September ranged from 29°C to 39°C, combined with an average humidity, of about 54 per cent.
Temperatures tend to drop noticeably in October, with a minimum average of 25.5°C and maximum of 35.8°C for that month between 1991 and 2020. The winter period then follows, beginning in November.
January is traditionally the coolest month of the year in the UAE, with an average minimum temperature of 15.5°C and maximum average of 24.3°C between 1991 and 2020.
Where is Suhail?
Known to astronomers as Canopus, Suhail is a giant, yellowish-white star in the Carina constellation, about 313 light years from Earth. It is the second-brightest star in the night sky, only outshone by Sirius.
Also known as the Star of Yemen, the appearance of Suhail aligns with the ancient Al Drour calendar, which divides the year into distinct phases, each spanning 100 days.
