The temperature reached a sizzling 50.8ºC in parts of Abu Dhabi… 

You don’t need us to tell you it’s hot and humid outside right now. After all, it’s August and you live in a desert.

In fact, while you were busy beating the heat this weekend – from 7am beach mornings to embracing the great indoors – you probably didn’t even notice that it was, in fact, the hottest day of the year so far.

On Saturday, August 26 a sizzling temperature of 50.8°C was recorded at 2.45pm in Owtaid, in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region.

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This isn’t the first time temperatures have surpassed 50ºC this year. In July, a seriously sweat-inducing 50.1°C was recorded at 2.45pm in Bada Dafas, in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region.

What is the hottest temperature ever recorded in the UAE?

If you think that’s hot, then brace yourselves as it can get hotter. The official record for the UAE’s highest ever temp was July 2002, when an eye-sweating 52.1ºC (125.78ºF) was recorded. Ouch.

And if you’re wondering which month overall is hottest…

Well, the National Centre of Meteorology & Seismology (NCMS) has collected data at a weather station near Dubai International Airport for 45 years, from 1977 to 2022.

And the findings? Well, almost all of the temperature indicators peak in August, meaning overall that is the hottest month in Dubai.

When will it start cooling down?

On Wednesday, August 24 the Suhail Star was spotted in UAE skies signaling the beginning of cooler days in the desert, according to folklore.

But you shouldn’t expect an immediate drop in temperatures. After the sighting of the star, UAE residents can expect a 70 to 80-day delay for significant temperature drops to be felt.