Something in the air: 100% humidity

Residents will have little option but to stay indoors or find other ways to avoid the sweltering heat predicted. Reem Mohammed / The National

ABU DHABI // Residents should expect a sticky and sweaty weekend as humidity hits an unseasonal 100 per cent.

Daytime temperatures are expected to reach 42°C, with strong, warm winds marking the start of summer.

“Yesterday morning, we had humidity reaching up to 100 per cent and expect it to remain at about 98 per cent over the next few days,” said a forecaster at the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology.

“Temperatures are currently shifting from winter to summer, which means they will be increasing, but at a slow rate almost every other day.

Despite the expected high winds this weekend, temperatures are likely to remain stable or increase.

“We are expecting a change in air mass tomorrow and lasting until Sunday, which means strong winds of up to 42 kilometres an hour can be expected in some interior and coastal areas.

“The temperature may feel one or two degrees cooler but that is not significant.”

He also warned beachgoers to stay out of the water because high winds would bring rough seas.

Portuguese expat Susan Carvalho said she became used to keeping her windows open during the long, cool winter this year, but on Tuesday awoke to find her walls damp because of the humidity.

“There are streaky marks on the wall that I spent all day cleaning because they became damp with condensation,” she said. “The furniture outside is all damp. Slippery surfaces are also not safe for children, so I have to make sure I keep my kid indoors,” said Ms Carvalho, who has a three-year-old child.

“We knew we would not be able to spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, but did not foresee humidity to be so high,” she said.

Global forecaster AccuWeather predicted temperatures in the mid-thirties, but that it would feel “muggy” at times.

It said Abu Dhabi and Dubai would experience lower humidity next week.