UAE weather: temperature sinks to a chilly 12.5°C as winter weather arrives

October traditionally heralds the start of cooler days in the UAE

AL Hayer, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, Dec. 29, 2014:  
A view of the Jebel Hafeet (1,249 m) (4,098 ft) mountain on the outskirts of Al Ain at the UAE-Oman border. Jebel Hafeet is one of the UAE's tallest mountains and a very popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. (Silvia Razgova / The National)  /  Usage:  undated  /  Section: AL   /  Reporter:  standalone *** Local Caption ***  SR-141229-jebelhafeet02.jpg
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The UAE woke to a chilly start on Sunday as temperatures dipped to 12.5°C overnight.

Damtha, a town near Al Ain, was the coldest place in the country in the early hours.

The country has had cooler weather in the past few weeks, with an even chillier 7.9°C recorded in Raknah near Al Ain on Saturday.

Raknah is in a wadi, or valley, which affects the temperature, often making it cooler there than in the mountains.

"The cold air comes down and stops there, cooling gradually from night to early morning," said a forecaster for the National Centre of Meteorology.

"Now we are starting the autumn season [so] the temperature is coming down gradually.

"During the day it’s not too high, the maximum is [about] 37°C or 38."

Temperatures are expected to fall further in the next week or month, heralding the start of the good weather, which will remain until March.

Social media feeds across the UAE have been filled with posts from residents out enjoying the outdoors and taking advantage of the cool conditions.

October traditionally marks the start of cool autumn weather, according to the ancient Drour calendar.

The 365-day calendar measures the year in 10-day cycles, or micro seasons, which are known in Arabic as dir.

The calendar has four seasons, with 100 days allocated to autumn, winter and summer, followed by a 60-day season of intense heat that ended on August 24, when the Suhail star appeared.

Autumn is also associated with the Gulf’s rainy season, which can bring wind, turbulent weather and swings in temperatures.

But there is still heat around. Temperatures are expected to climb to a high of 39°C inland and 36°C on the coast on Sunday.

The weather will be fair in general and partly cloudy at times in the east.