Suhail star signals end of UAE summer but Sweat-tember and Hot-tober loom

Summer in the UAE appears to be drawing to a close, with the Suhail star set to make its first seasonal appearance next week, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society. The star's emergence signals the end of peak summer, bringing a few-degree drop in temperatures as September commences. However, the pleasantness of being outdoors may not improve significantly, as humidity levels are expected to rise.

The rise of the Suhail star in the southern sky is a celestial event observed by astronomers across the region, marking the conclusion of the extreme heat of peak summer and the approach of cooler conditions. In Arab folklore, it is said that the night "cools down" when Suhail rises. Between 1991 and 2020, September witnessed average temperatures ranging from 29°C to 39°C, accompanied by an average humidity of approximately 54 percent.

As temperatures tend to decrease notably in October, with a minimum average of 25.5°C and a maximum of 35.8°C between 1991 and 2020, the winter period begins in November. January typically stands out as the coldest month in the UAE, with an average minimum temperature of 15.5°C and a maximum average of 24.3°C during this timeframe. The appearance of Suhail, also known as Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky, aligns with the ancient Al Drour calendar, which divides the year into phases of 100 days each.