Cooler weather is on the way across the UAE, with the shift from summer to autumn set to take effect on Tuesday under the meteorological calendar, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.
Al Jarwan pointed to a clear pattern of falling temperatures beginning this month. Readings during the peak summer stretch frequently climbed past 42°C, while nighttime figures held above 29°C. September should bring relief on both ends, with daytime peaks staying under 39°C and overnight lows slipping beneath 27°C.
The downward trend is expected to hold as the season progresses. Al Jarwan said October highs should stay below 35°C, with lows falling under 22°C. By November, daytime readings are forecast to remain beneath 30°C and nighttime figures under 18°C. As autumn closes out, national highs are projected to drop below 26°C and lows below 15°C.
He drew a distinction between the two systems used to mark the seasons. Under the meteorological approach, he explained, the divisions rest on average annual temperatures, placing summer from June through August and autumn from early September until the end of November. This method fixes each season to the start of a month so that it lines up with the calendar most nations follow, keeping weather records uniform.
The astronomical reckoning works differently. Al Jarwan said it depends on how the sun moves relative to the earth over the course of a year, which sets the dates of the solstices and equinoxes and governs how long daylight lasts and how far shadows stretch at midday. Measured this way, autumn does not begin until September 23rd.
