UAE records hottest May in over 20 years with temperature hitting 51.6ºC

The UAE has experienced its hottest May in over two decades, with extreme heat persisting for longer periods throughout the day.

In an interview with Khaleej Times, Dr Ahmed Habib, a meteorologist at the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said on Wednesday, “It hit a scorching 51.6ºC in Sweihan, near Al Ain in Abu Dhabi, on May 24 – the hottest May day the UAE has seen since records began in 2003. The previous high was 50.2ºC in Al Shawamekh back in 2009.”

“What’s worth noting is that the intense heat is lasting for a longer duration each day. It’s not just the peak temperatures that are going up, the hot hours are stretching out, too. On an average, temperatures are now more than 1.5ºC higher,” which also aligns with the global trend that scientists are seeing around the world.

The average maximum temperature across the country in May reached 40.4ºC, higher than the historical average maximum of 39.2ºC recorded between 2003 and 2024.

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What’s causing the intense heat?

Experts have time and again highlighted that the rise in average duration of high temperatures throughout the day signalling a broader shift in regional climate patterns.

However, the intense heat is also attributed to a combination of atmospheric systems, including internal low-pressure activity from the southern parts of the UAE. “The heatwave from Saudi Arabia impacts the UAE primarily through thermal low-pressure systems that originate in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. This hot air mass spreads from the interior deserts of KSA towards other neighbouring countries like the UAE,” added Habib.

Looking ahead, the forecast remains bleak for any immediate relief from the sweltering conditions. “The weather is expected to be hot over the next few days, with temperatures continuing to rise over the next four to five days. The first 11 days of June have already been hotter than average (in June), but since the month isn’t over yet, it’s too early to make a full comparison,” he emphasized.

Climate change

Meanwhile, according to Reuters, this May was the second-warmest on record globally, with scientists noting that climate change contributed to an unprecedented heatwave in Greenland.

Experts also highlight that intense heat is no longer limited to brief midday periods. In many parts of the country, early mornings and late evenings -which were previously seen as cooler periods – are now registering significantly higher temperatures than historical norms.

Dr Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (ENGEOS) Lab at Khalifa University, earlier told KT, “If we take the UAE and the surrounding countries, meaning the Southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, the summer will be extended (every year) by a few days with an increase in temperature. These were the results of our study on the subject, published in the paper titled, ‘Recent and projected changes in climate patterns in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’.”