UAE residents, prepare for the longest day of the year as the summer solstice approaches. The summer solstice is the day of the year with the longest daylight. It occurs when one of Earth's poles is closest to the sun. This year, the UAE will experience an earlier summer solstice on 20 June, marking the earliest solstice since 1796 for many countries worldwide. On this day, the UAE will enjoy 13 hours and 48 minutes of daylight. Similar variations in solstice timing can be expected in future leap years.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Board Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society and member of the Arab Union for Space and Astronomy Sciences, explained that during the summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, its northernmost point. In regions directly beneath the sun, such as the southern UAE, there will be no shadow at noon.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan added that during the first half of summer, from 21 June to 10 August, temperatures are expected to range between 41°C and 43°C during the day and between 26°C and 29°C at night. Conditions will generally be dry with active winds.
The second half of summer, from 11 August to 23 September, is characterised by high humidity, persistent high temperatures, and the activation of moist Kos winds. These winds encourage the formation of cumulonimbus clouds (the only cloud type that can produce hail, thunder and lightning) over mountainous areas and nearby regions, resulting in thunderstorms.