Today's weather for dubai, Dubai16th Oct 2008 06:00

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Weather Overview for dubai

Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. This famous city rightly has a reputation for being sunny and very hot. Temperatures in the 40s are not uncommon and yearly rainfall averages just 150mms. The climate is desert like and can be described as an arid subtropical climate. It never gets cold, with even winter nights seeing temperatures in the mid teens. Dubai is essentially a city of skyscrapers, swimming pools, and golf courses rising out of the middle of the desert.

Summer

Summer can see extremely hot temperatures in Dubai. June to September are the hottest months of the year and the mercury can soar to 45C. Average temperature is in the low to mid 30s in summer, peaking at a scorching 35C in August. At this time daily highs average 39C and regularly top out in the 40s. Air-conditioning and a swimming pool in your hotel are definitely welcome at this time of year!

The months either side of June and September are very hot too, averaging around 30C and often see highs in the mid 30d.

Rainfall is extremely low in summer months; so low in fact that the monthly average is negligible. You are very unlikely to see rain during summer. Rainfall is very low right from April until November – most of the annual rainfall occurs in winter.

Expect a lot of sunshine in summer – June averages a whopping 11.5 sunshine hours per day, and you should see the big orange ball for more than 10 hours a day right through from April until October. Remember to pack your sun cream and your favourite shades!

You’ll appreciate your swimming pool in summer too as the sea temperature can reach up to 35C in late summer – more than a warm bath than a refreshing dip!

Winter

Winter sees somewhat more comfortable temperatures in Dubai. December to February are the coolest months, averaging around 20C. With highs in the mid 20s and lows in the mid teens it is a pleasant time to visit Dubai, especially those unaccustomed to hot temperatures (as most of us are in England!).

Winter is when most of the annual rainfall occurs. Seeing as annual rainfall is only about 150mm however, there is still not a lot of precipitation during these months. Late winter sees the most rain on average; February and March average between 20 and 25mm. Put another way, averages show these months receive about 5 or 6 days with some rainfall.

Occasionally heavy rain can occur in Dubai; January 2008 saw 120mm (nearly all of the yearly average) fall in just 24 hours. Rain this heavy is a rare occurrence put heavy showers can occur each year.

Winter months are slightly more humid than other times of the year. Humidity averages about 60% across the year.

The sea temperature remains above 20C all year, so you can take a dip even in winter.

Spring and Autumn see conditions in between the summer and winter extremes. Late spring and early autumn are very hot. In early spring the days rapidly get hotter and there is still a risk of rainfall. Autumn is generally warm and dry.

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