General Information » Environment » Climate

Dubai has a subtropical and arid climate. Sunny blue skies and high temperatures can be expected most of the year, and rainfall is infrequent and erratic, usually falling on an average of only 25 days per year, mainly in winter (December to March), but seems like even less. While the number of days with rain can get as high as 18 per month in extreme cases, the average is five days per month through the winter, and when it does rain, it is not usually for very long or very heavily. However in the Hajar Mountains the amount of rainfall can be much higher, and flash floods in the wadis are not unheard of.

2004/5 was not a particularly wet year (74mm of rain), but compared to the previous few years it was a lot wetter. Between 2000 and 2003 total annual rainfall got as low as 8.8mm, less than 1% of the usual annual total.

As it is not seen very often, heavy rainfall can really take its toll on the city within a relatively short period. Not all roads have adequate drainage, and even those that do are not designed for massive downpours and can get blocked by sand, resulting in waterlogging.

Dubai's drivers are not accustomed to wet conditions, and tend to cope with it by putting their hazard lights on without bothering to slow down or increase following distance (for the record, it is not correct to put your hazard lights on in fog or rainy conditions, as this is confusing for other drivers. Save your hazard lights for roadside emergencies and use your headlights in rain or fog).

Temperatures range from a low of around 10°C (50°F) in winter, to a high of 48°C (118°F) in summer. The mean daily maximum is 24°C (75°F) in January, rising to 41°C (106°F) in August. Climatic changes have not had a marked effect, but local factors such as the vast increase in amount of tarmac roads and large buildings since the start of weather records in the 1960s have caused a slight increase in temperatures, especially the minimum temperature in winter.

During winter there are occasional sandstorms when the sand is whipped up off the desert, not to be confused with the shamal - a north-westerly wind which comes off the Arabian Gulf and can cool temperatures down. Sandstorms cover anything left outside in gardens or on balconies and can blow inside, so make sure your doors and windows are shut. When combined with rain, as sometimes happens, they can leave your car quite muddy; they also cut down visibility when driving, like in fog, especially when on roads through the desert, so slow down and take extra care. In the desert even a light wind can whip up the sand, so mind your eyes!

Surprisingly, mornings can get...