When was the coldest weather the UAE has ever experienced?

Do you think it’s cold outside now? Oh your lovely summer child…

Outdoor ambient temperatures of 25ºC constituted an unbearable heatwave across much of northern Europe, with train lines burning, wild markets for Coca-flavored popsicles soaring and barbecues killing garage front yard charcoal. But here in the UAE we are used to higher conditions for mercury bars.

By now, the average UAE resident has probably rummaged through their wardrobe for their ‘winter’ clothes – ‘those’ boots (you know the ones), oversized wool jumpers, baggy hoodies and leather jackets. Or depending on who wins the AC wars in your office, they could already be on a permanent rotation.

weather this week

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) forecast for the week ahead hints at more seasonally cold, persistent “partly cloudy” skies and “a chance of light rain”. This is for the densely populated coastal areas of the country. As you might expect, things get a lot more frosty when it comes to the mountains.

Here, in the curving cliffs of the stacked Jebels, you can expect lows around 8ºC. In the north of England, it’s still technically BBQ weather, but pretty much everything but 10, sideways rain, high winds.

But it’s getting colder. Much colder.

Has it ever snowed in the UAE?

Back in February 2017, Jebel Jais received a “pretty thick” blanket of snow, let’s avoid exaggerating. Not enough off-piste to tear a 1080 cross rocket into fresh powder without a mile-high wall of ice to keep wildlings from attacking a party, but suffice it to say, put on a mighty small village snowball fight.

increase in precipitation #Snow exist #Mount_Jais Now #country_weather pic.twitter.com/oiXKyKTQ3f

– National Center for Meteorology (@NCMS_media) February 3, 2017

The same scenario was repeated in January 2020, but with a further drop in January 2021, the country reports Coldest start to year on record.

But when was the coldest weather ever recorded in the UAE?

In January 2021, the coldest temperature ever recorded in the UAE was just -2ºC – and perhaps most surprisingly, this was observed by a weather facility in Ain Lackna – it wasn’t on the mountainside, it was the terrain low-lying local areas.

Fahd Mohammed documented the freezing of water in the North Cape of Al Ain.#UAE#Center _ of _ the _ storm The most beautiful winter in the world
09/01/2021 pic.twitter.com/LRz9IpgRVk

– Storm Center (@Storm_centre) January 9, 2021

It’s the first time since records began that temperatures in the UAE have breached the zero-degree mark (yes, we know, outside your office), and points to more evidence of climate change in the region.

Image Source: @jyo_john_mulloor via Instagram

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