Climate of Dubai

Climate of Dubai
Dubai has a hot arid climate. Dubai has 2 seasons – winter and summer. Summer in Dubai begins around the last week of April and ends around the first week of October. This period is characterized by extremely hot weather, hot winds and high humidity. Due to the city's close proximity to the sea, the temperatures in Dubai are slightly milder in summer in comparison to other Gulf cities such as Kuwait City and Riyadh. However, this means the city has high humidity which can make the weather extremely unpleasant in summer. Rainfall is scarce during the summer months, but the windy conditions ensure there are frequent dust storms. Temperatures regularly rise above during this period and fall to around overnight. Winter in Dubai begins around the last week of October and lasts until the beginning of April. Most of the precipitation takes place during this season. Strong thunderstorms are not uncommon to the city during this period, this is accompanied by strong north-westerly winds and lower temperatures. The average daytime high during the winter season is around with overnight lows of . Rainfall has been increasing over the past few decades in the city accumulating to more than per year.
The urban heat island effect does take its toll on Dubai as well, for example during the winter months when temperatures regularly fall to around and lower in the outskirts of the city and its suburbs, the temperatures in Central Dubai rarely fall below . This can be clearly seen when comparing weather data from the city's two airports - Dubai International and Dubai World Central. The highest temperature recorded in Dubai is , reached in July 2023, whereas the lowest recorded temperature in Dubai is .
Classifications
Climate data
Seasonal climate
The climate of Dubai is warm and sunny due to its position near the line of the Tropic of Cancer. During the winter season it has an average daytime temperature of . Nighttime temperatures near the coastline range between to , while in the desert they are with the nights being relatively cool throughout the year. Near coastal areas humidity averages between 50% and 60%. In the summer, the weather in Dubai is very hot and humid, with temperatures exceeding mainly in the months of July and August. The sea temperature could also reach , with humidity averaging over 90%.
Rainfall in Dubai is infrequent and does not last for a long period. It mostly rains during the winter period between November and March in the form of short downpours and an occasional thunderstorm. On average, rain falls only 25 days a year.
February is the wettest month in Dubai with an average of of rain. The weather in Dubai is extremely dry in the month of June with little or no rain; however, heavy rain with thunderstorm can unexpectedly fall on some days in June, despite it being the driest month in Dubai, with an example being June 21, 2019. March and December also record some amount of rainfall. The rainfall during January, April, July, October and November are about average while the amount of rain in May, August and September are comparatively lower.
The hottest months are July and August with the average high temperatures exceeding . January is the coolest month with the highs of about and lows of about . Dubai tends to be extremely hot and humid in the months of July and August, with temperatures hitting around , and with lows of barely less than , making it the most unpleasant time to visit Dubai. During the months of May, June, September, and October, temperatures are hot, but rather quite bearable, with average highs of no more than and with lows of about on average, making it an ideal time to visit the beach or swimming pool.
Climatic conditions by month
In January the average maximum daytime temperature in Dubai is usually around , with average lows of about . The average rainfall is 10 mm (0.4 inches) of, with rain generally falling on just two days of the month. While the average sea temperature in January is . January is also known for having days of unusual precipitation events . On January 15, 2008, of rain was recorded in 24 hours.
In February the average maximum daytime temperature in Dubai is with the average minimum nighttime temperature of . The average rainfall is during February. While the average sea temperature is .
In March the average daytime temperature is , with moderate heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in March is about . The average rainfall is during March, with rain generally falling on just four days of the month. While the average sea temperature is . Strong thunderstorms often hit the city during this month, which if followed by an increase in temperatures.
In April the average daytime temperature is , with high heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in April is about . The average rainfall is with rain generally falling on just two days of the month. The average sea temperature in April is .
In May the average daytime temperature is , with very high heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in May is about . The average rainfall is during May, with rain generally falling on just one day of the month. The average sea temperature is .
In June the average daytime temperature is , with very high heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in June is about . The average rainfall is less than during June, with a possible chance of rainfall that could be expected to fall on one of the days of the month. The average sea temperature in June is .
In July the average daytime temperature is extremely high with extreme heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in July is about . The average rainfall is about during July, with rain occasionally falling on just one of the days of the month. The average sea temperature in the month of July is . Strong thunderstorms often quickly develop during these summer months and hit the outskirts of the city in areas such as DWC Airport, Al Lisaili, Lahbab, Al Khawaneej, Al Awir and Muhaisnah areas, especially during the late afternoon.
In August the average daytime temperature is extremely high , with extreme heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in August is about . The average rainfall is less than during August, with a possible chance of rainfall that could be expected to fall on one of the days of the month. The average sea temperature in August is .
In September the average daytime temperature is , with very high heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in September is . There is very little chance of any rainfall during September. Average sea temperature in September is .
In October the average daytime temperature is , with high heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in October is . The average sea temperature around Dubai Airport in October is .
In November the average daytime temperature is , with moderate heat and humidity. The average minimum temperature in November is . On average only of rainfall may occur in November. Average sea temperature in November is .
In December the average daytime temperature is , cool to warm with high humidity. The average minimum temperature in December is . The average rainfall during the month is . With rain generally falling on just 2 days of the month. The average sea temperature in December is .
Sandstorms and extreme events
During the summer season, a low pressure area develops over Dubai forcing strong north-westerly winds to blow from Saudi Arabia. These winds, also known as Shamal (north) in Arabic, become gusty and unpredictable on reaching Dubai. Shamal boosts up the desert sand and reduce visibility and the dust storm sandstorms may last for several days. Notable sandstorms and extreme weather events that hit Dubai during the last few years include:
On April 18, 2008, a severe sandstorm hit Dubai and reduced visibility to 1,500 meters.
On March 10, 2009, a moderate sandstorm reached Dubai which lowered down the visibility and temperature.
On March 2, 2010, Strong winds caused sandstorms in Dubai and other regions of United Arab Emirates.
On January 28, 2011, a sandstorm hit Dubai for a short time.
On February 26, 2012, a strong sandstorm hit Dubai and other parts of the country.
On April 2, 2015, a very strong sandstorm hit Dubai and other parts of the country. It started to clear out closer to the evening. In some areas visibility use reduced to 500 metres.
On March 1, 2019, a strong sandstorm hit Dubai along with very strong winds after heavy rainfall, bringing temperatures down by .
On June 21, 2019, after scorching hot temperatures of about in the afternoon, the weather broke down into a strong sandstorm, which eventually caused thunderstorms to rumble in parts of Dubai along with heavy rain, causing temperatures to drop sharply to about . This is one of the rarest rainfall to ever occur in Dubai in the month of June.
From January 7 to around January 12, 2020, record-breaking rain hit Dubai and other regions of the UAE. The incessant storms brought strong winds and hailstorms and brought down temperatures severely. Unusually heavy rain hit Dubai, with rainfall reaching 150 mm/hour for 2.5 hours, according to preliminary reports, the storms also flooded various regions of the emirate, including the Dubai Airport, leading to the cancellation of most flights.
A cold wave hit the UAE from January 6 to 12, 2021. Temperatures dipped in Dubai as well. In the city temperatures dipped to , and in the outskirts to .
On July 17, 2021, dust and sandstorm hit Dubai followed by heavy rain.
From December 31, 2021 to January 2, 2022, heavy rainfall hit Dubai, with most areas of the city receiving over 60 millimeters of rainfall in two days time and reaching to even 140 millimeters in various areas of the city.
From January 21 to 24, 2022, a minor cold wave hit Dubai accompanied by strong and cool winds, with day time temperatures settling around and falling to at dawn in the city and to in the outskirts.
From July 26 to 28, 2022, heavy rainfall lashed in Dubai along with other emirates including Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah and Fujairah. Temperatures rapidly dipped from to . Large floods occurred in most areas due to the intense rain, affecting residents.
On August 14, 2022, a severe sandstorm hit Dubai and other emirates, reducing visibility to 500 meters.
From January 25th to 27th 2023, record breaking rainfall hit Dubai, with a 100mm of rain falling in the span of just 3 days, further temperatures stayed between 18°C and 9°C for 3 days.
On March 21, 2023, a severe thunderstorm hit Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates causing temperatures to drop to between and
April 2023 was notoriously cool in Dubai, with the benchmark not being reached the whole month, the first time since records began.
On the morning of 8th May , temperature fell to marking the coldest May temperature in decades.
On June 2, 2023, Dubai has marked another minimum record with strong wind gusts reaching 40 km/h (25 mph) reducing the outdoor maximum temperature to in the afternoon instead of the usual average high of on the same day. The following day, on the early morning of June 3, 2023, temperatures fell down to in the city and in the outskirts, marking another coldest June temperature in decades.
On July 15 and 16, 2023, Dubai marked the hottest temperatures ever recorded where it reached in the afternoon, and with the highest low temperature of at night, this has been the hottest recorded temperature for decades.
Though Dubai is located in a tropical area, the city and its suburbs were never hit by a depression or cyclonic storm in its past 1000 years due to its geomorphological location; however, with the shift in climate patterns and climate change, this could soon change.
Notes
References
External links
UAE's National Center of Meteorology - Weather Radars
Weather of Dubai
Climate of UAE: Facts to Know before your Visit
Climate-Charts.com
Dubai Climate Change
Adaptation Plan] – Emirates 24/7
Geography of Dubai
Climate of the United Arab Emirates
Dubai