UAE weather: Temperatures to reach 46°C as settled conditions dominate weekend

Temperature forecast

The UAE is set for a spell of settled summer weather, with fair skies, light winds and calm seas expected to dominate through the weekend, according to the National Centre of Meteorology.

Low clouds are forecast to form over eastern areas during the morning hours, while northwesterly winds are expected to shift south-easterly later in the day, remaining generally light to moderate.

Daytime temperatures will continue to climb into the mid-40s in inland areas, with Liwa forecast to reach 46°C and Al Ain 45°C on Thursday. The southern desert region of Liwa, located approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Abu Dhabi city and home to the Empty Quarter, routinely experiences such extreme temperatures during summer months due to its wide-ranging sand dunes that absorb and radiate heat.

Coastal cities will be slightly cooler, with highs of 42°C in Abu Dhabi, 40°C in Dubai and 42°C in Sharjah.

While these temperatures are characteristic of the UAE's core summer months from June to September, when peaks can reach up to 50°C in southern regions, they remain well below the country's all-time record of 52.1°C set in July 2002. Earlier in June, the UAE recorded near-record temperatures of 49.4°C in Sweihan on June 20 and 49.8°C in Al Dhafra region on June 24, part of what forecasters have predicted will be a warmer-than-usual summer for 2026.

Wind and sea conditions

Winds are expected to blow at 10-20kph, occasionally reaching 30kph, while both the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will remain slight.

The settled pattern is expected to continue on Friday, with little change in temperatures or cloud cover. Light to moderate northwesterly winds will once again become south-easterly later in the day, while seas are forecast to remain slight in both bodies of water.

Conditions will become marginally breezier over the weekend, particularly on Saturday and Sunday, when winds are expected to freshen at times, increasing to 10-25kph with gusts of up to 35kph. Despite the stronger breeze, the weather is forecast to remain fair, with morning low cloud over eastern regions and only a slight to moderate sea state in the Arabian Gulf by Sunday.

Summer heat context

The Middle East and North Africa region has been warming at 0.46°C per decade since 1980, with the area warming twice as fast as the global average. This long-term trend has contributed to increasingly intense summer conditions across the UAE.

With sustained high temperatures expected, health experts recommend venturing outdoors before 10 am or after 5 pm when conditions are relatively cooler, as midday hours between 12 pm and 4 pm represent the hottest and most dangerous period of the day. The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation requires employers to protect outdoor workers from heat stress by providing industrial cooling systems, fully shaded spaces, cold drinking water and first aid equipment during summer months.