The longest day of the year lasting nearly 14 hours will arrive on June 21st.
Get ready, UAE! The summer solstice is coming, bringing us the longest day of the year with a whopping 13 hours and 48 minutes of daylight from June 21st to June 22nd. According to the Astronomy and Space Sciences experts, it’s the perfect time to soak up the sun!
Usually, the summer solstice falls on June 21st, but this year there’s a twist. On June 20th at 20:51 UTC, most countries will experience the earliest solstice since 1796. However, for us in the UAE, the longest day will still be on June 21th. Enjoy every sunny minute!
Authorities have also pointed out a fun fact: in the coming leap years, we’ll be celebrating the summer solstice a bit earlier than usual. So, get ready to adjust your sunny day plans accordingly.
The third week of June kicks off ‘astronomical summer’ in the UAE. This season begins with the summer solstice, when one of Earth’s poles cosies up closest to the sun, giving us the longest day of the year.
“With the date of the summer solstice, the sun is perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer at its northernmost position… while the shadow is absent at noon in the perpendicular areas, including the southern regions of the country, and the meridian shadow disappears. Throughout the Arabian Peninsula, the shortest meridian shadow is throughout the northern half of the Earth,” said Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.
The chairman announced that daytime temperatures will sizzle between 41ºC and 43ºC, while nights will offer a bit of relief at 26ºC to 29ºC. In some spots, the mercury could even soar past 50ºC.
From June 21st to August 10th, brace yourself for hot and dry conditions, especially with those pesky winds stirring up dust and sand in the northern and northwestern regions. Expect heat waves to boost temps by at least four degrees.
Then, from August 11th until the autumn equinox on September 23rd, things get steamy with high humidity joining the party. Humid winds will sweep through, potentially forming cumulus clouds over the mountains and nearby areas, which might just lead to some dramatic thunderstorms.
