High humidity in UAE set to stay for weeks

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Little respite is in sight from the recent high humidity as forecasters warn people to be ready for several more weeks of sticky conditions.

The National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) said the humidity is the “transition between the UAE summer and winter” and is an effect of the region’s monsoon season.

The NCMS issued a weather warning on Thursday for “fog formation with poor visibility over some coastal and internal areas during late night and early morning”.

A spokesman said on Friday: “The wind is carrying more water vapour.

“It is coming from the Arabian Sea at night and during early morning and the Arabian Gulf during the day and evening.”

There are weeks of humidity to come. “It will continue over the next month. Coastal areas will be worst affected, as will inland areas in the west,” he said.

The lowest temperature in the UAE was recorded at 5am yesterday at the top of Jebel Jais, in Ras Al Khaimah, where it was 22°C.

On Thursday, the highest temperature was in Hamim, in the Western Region, at 45.2°C at 3.15pm. However, temperatures will be dropping to under 40C during the coming weeks even though humidity levels will remain high.

Dubai resident Ammar Jaffar said: “The heat is bearable even when it’s in the high 40s but, with the humidity, it feels even hotter.

“The air conditioning in the apartment has been on even more than usual and being outside is almost as bad as it was during July.”

Rachel Smart, a mother of two children under five, said: “Usually I can take the kids to the pool late in the day but even then, it’s still quite hot for them at this time.

“It gets worse as the day goes on and is worst in the evenings, when it just feels so sticky.”

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/environment/high-humidity-in-uae-set-to-stay-for-weeks