The UAE’s National Center of Meteorology announced that on Saturday, the United Arab Emirates recorded a scorching temperature of 51.6°C — setting a record for the second consecutive day this May.
The agency posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Saturday’s temperature rose by 1.2°C compared to Friday’s record, which was also extremely high, in Abu Dhabi.
“The highest temperature recorded in the country at this time was 51.6°C in Sweihan (Al Ain) at 1:45 PM UAE time (0945 GMT),” the center said.
The meteorological office confirmed that both temperatures surpassed the previous May record of 50.2°C, set back in 2009.
This desert nation — one of the world’s top oil exporters — is among the hottest regions on Earth and is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Scientists say this pattern of extreme heat is a clear indicator of global warming and that such temperatures will become more frequent, more intense, and last longer.
Globally, the number of extremely hot days has nearly doubled over the last 30 years. A 2022 Greenpeace study showed that the Middle East faces severe threats from water and food shortages as well as extreme heat due to climate change.
