If you stepped outside this week and felt like the UAE forgot it’s almost September, you’re not imagining it. UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) recorded a temperature of 50°C in Bada Dafas, in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region, at 2.30pm. It’s the highest reading logged anywhere in the country that day, and a reminder that the region’s punishing summer isn’t done handing out surprises.
UAE Heat Just Hit 50°C Again: Here’s Where And Why It’s Not Cooling Down Yet
This isn’t a one-off. Bada Dafas has been the country’s unofficial heat capital for weeks now. On August 5, the area recorded 51.2°C, the highest figure logged anywhere in the UAE so far this year. Just over a week later, on August 14, it hit 50.4°C. Even the start of the month wasn’t gentle. August 1 saw the UAE’s first 50°C reading of the month, this time recorded in Al Shawamekh, Abu Dhabi. Coastal cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi typically run several degrees cooler than these interior desert pockets, but the difference has narrowed noticeably this year, with humidity in coastal areas pushing the “feels like” temperature uncomfortably close to the raw numbers recorded inland.
Why Suhail Hasn’t Cooled Things Down Yet
There’s a reason so many residents were expecting relief by now. The star Suhail, also known as Canopus in Western astronomy, rose on August 24 this year, an event that has traditionally signalled the turning point toward cooler weather across the Gulf. Culturally, its appearance is treated almost like a seasonal marker, the kind of thing older generations watched for, the way people elsewhere track the first frost. But meteorologists have been consistent in warning that the transition doesn’t happen overnight. Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society, has noted that while temperatures are expected to gradually decline in Suhail’s wake, rising humidity in the meantime can actually make the air feel just as oppressive, even when the thermometer reading itself has started to ease.
Also Read: UAE Weather: Rain And Thunderstorms Hit Sharjah As Temperatures Cross 50°C
How To Actually Stay Safe Right Now
None of this means residents should let their guard down. The advice from health authorities has stayed consistent all summer: drink water regularly, even before you feel thirsty, and avoid relying on thirst as a warning sign in this kind of heat. Limit time in direct sun, particularly through the early afternoon hours when radiant heat peaks. Choose lightweight, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing over anything dark or tight. Dial back the intensity of outdoor exercise or physical labour, and if you’re driving, check your vehicle regularly, tyre pressure especially, since heat-related blowouts spike this time of year. And remember the midday work ban remains in force: outdoor work in direct sunlight is prohibited from 12.30 pm to 3 pm daily between June 15 and September 15, with limited exemptions for essential services
Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/Sergey Guk from Pexels
FAQs
Where exactly is Bada Dafas, and why does it keep recording the country's highest temperatures?
Bada Dafas is a locality within the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, an inland desert area away from the moderating effect of the coast.
Why does the UAE sometimes feel hotter than the actual temperature reading suggests?
Humidity plays a major role. When relative humidity climbs, especially along the coast, the body struggles to cool itself through sweat evaporation, which makes conditions feel significantly hotter than the raw thermometer reading.