The United Arab Emirates is nestled between Oman and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East adjoining the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. The harsh desert climate of UAE is one of the most important seasonal issues of UAE. July and August are the hottest and the most humid months, when average maximum temperatures can exceed 48 degrees, on the coastal plain.

A humid south-east wind called sharqi (easterly) makes the summer months(July to September) too humid for comfort, but there is usually a slight drop in temperature in the evening.

Strong north and north-western winds known as shamal makes UAE prone to occasional violent sand and dust storms. Shamals is quite unsafe and disruptive, as it affects our health and reduces visibility.

UAE has basically two main seasons – mild hot and very hot. All the emirates of UAE share almost the same climate. Its desert areas have cooler nights in the winter and slightly less humid air in the summer.

Winter time of the year is very pleasant in UAE. With temperatures dropping to 12 degree Celsius the weather is mild in winter. During this season we also experience rain but not more than 10 days throughout the year in the UAE.

Another seasonal issue of UAE during the winter,  is heavy fog, especially in the morning, sometimes leading to major traffic issues.

Air pollutants

Various types of pollutants enters UAE through the winds from Iran, air currents from the monsoon season in the subcontinent and dry air from the empty quarter.

Off shore oil refineries and sand storm also cause major pollution in the city, leading to poor visibility and allergies amongst children and elderly people.

In summer, there is a steep rise in the temperatures in the UAE, making it very difficult to step out of the house during the day. There is not much difference at night also except for slight dip in the humidity level. Outdoor activities during summer months, that is June to September, can be done only in areas that is air conditioned.

Despite all the seasonal issues the UAE government has been very active in building its infrastructure strongly in order to give full comfort to its citizens. There are many government agencies and non- profit environment agencies like Emirates Environment group and Bee’ah who do not leave any stone unturned to rid UAE of all its environmental issues.

credits- www.uaeinteract.com, chronicle.fanack.com, image Gulf News