UAE records hottest day this year, topping 50.8°C

Humid conditions are set to continue through the week

The Emirates has had a hot and humid summer with little respite since June. AFP

The UAE has recorded the hottest day this year, with the mercury climbing to 50.8°C and muggy conditions are set to continue this week.

The temperature soared to 50.8°C in Owtaid town on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Centre of Meteorology.

High temperatures of 49.8°C were recorded in southern Mezaira city, and at least three other cities in the south and central regions topped at 49.3°C.

Humidity levels reached a maximum of 90 per cent in parts of the UAE.

The weather bureau said that the sticky weather will continue until Wednesday, with fog formations likely over the coastal and internal areas.

The previous high in the UAE this year was in July, when temperatures climbed to more than 50.1°C in line with scorching conditions across the globe last month.

The warmest day ever on the planet since records began was recorded in July when temperatures hit an average of 17.01°C globally, surpassing the previous record of 16.92°C in 2016.

In the UAE, humidity levels reached 100 per cent last month, with authorities issuing warnings for people to stay hydrated, particularly those continuing to exercise outdoors.

Humidity levels have sharpened in coastal cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi this summer, with the sultry weather persisting throughout July.

A larger body of humid air over the sea that moves across to the land is among the reasons for the clammy weather coming in earlier.

The sticky conditions are expected to continue through September when the air gets thick with moisture, especially in the early morning and late evening.

Scientists said the planet heating up was the reason for the heatwaves in Europe and soaring humidity levels in the Middle East.

Sultry weather across the region - in pictures

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  Moroccan Fantasia (tbourida) horsemen ride their horses in the Atlantic to cool off during the annual Moussem festival. AFP

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  Kuwaiti youths as they set to sail aboard traditional dhows for a pearl diving expedition near Kuwait City. AFP

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  Iraqi youths swim in the Shatt al-Arab waterway at the end of a hot summer day in Basra. AFP

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  Syrians take advantage of the heat to dry sheep hides, during the tanning process in Azmarin town in the rebel-held northwestern Idlib province. AFP

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  Locals dry hot red peppers to make paste and flakes in the heat. AFP

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  Boys swim in the Nile amid a heatwave at El Qanater El Khairiyah. Reuters

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  A man relaxes next to a water fountain outside Qatar's Souq Waqif bazar in Doha. AFP

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  A grey parrot drinks water amidst soaring temperatures at a zoo in Baghdad. AFP

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  People gather in a restaurant at sunset in Gaza City. AFP

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  A boy shelters in his tent at the Sahlat al-Banat makeshift camp on the outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Raqa. AFP

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  An Iraqi youth dives into a swimming pool to cool off, as temperature rises in Mosul. Reuters

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  A man cools himself with water, amid a heatwave in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo. Reuters

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  Women sit on the beach during a hot summer day in Rabat, Morocco. EPA

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  People play at the Wadi El-Rayan waterfalls, amid a heatwave in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo. Reuters

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  A deserted beach by Reem Central Park on a hot day in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National