Around 10 countries brace for extreme heat as a powerful heat dome grips the region
A powerful heatwave is set to sweep across much of the Arab world over the coming days, with temperatures forecast to approach or exceed 50C in parts of the Gulf as a persistent high-pressure system and an intense thermal dome tighten their grip on the region.
Meteorologists say around 10 Arab countries will be affected by the broad weather pattern, bringing prolonged spells of extreme heat, unusually warm nights and, in some areas, the prospect of heavy rainfall later in the season.
Weather models indicate that the most severe conditions will be concentrated across the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq, particularly Kuwait, eastern Saudi Arabia, the interior and desert regions of the UAE, and Baghdad, where daytime temperatures are expected to climb to around 50C, with some locations potentially exceeding that threshold.
The heatwave is being driven by a strong upper-level ridge of high pressure, commonly known as a heat dome, which traps hot air near the surface and suppresses cloud formation, allowing temperatures to rise steadily over several days.
The influence of the system extends beyond the Gulf into the Levant, where Syria is expected to experience some of the highest temperatures outside the Arabian Peninsula, especially across its eastern and desert regions, where readings are forecast to approach 40C.
Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine are also expected to endure hot to very hot conditions, although mountainous areas should remain comparatively cooler.
The regional outlook comes as national meteorological agencies across the Middle East warn that the current spell of intense heat is likely to persist well into next week, with several countries issuing public health advisories urging people to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, remain hydrated and take extra precautions during the hottest hours of the day.
In the UAE, temperatures have already reached extreme levels. The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) recorded the country’s highest temperature on Saturday at 50.0C in Al Shawamekh, Abu Dhabi, at 2:30pm local time.
While temperatures are expected to remain exceptionally high, the UAE’s NCM say the weather pattern could also trigger the formation of convective clouds over eastern and southern areas early next week, bringing isolated afternoon showers on Monday and Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia is expected to remain significantly warmer than average not only in the coming days but throughout August, September and October, according to the Kingdom’s National Center for Meteorology.
Its latest three-month climate outlook projects a 60 to 80 per cent probability of above-normal temperatures across most regions, with anomalies reaching 2.5C above the long-term average during August and October.
The Kingdom is expected to experience its driest conditions in August, particularly across parts of Jazan, Al-Baha, Najran, Asir, Mecca, Medina, Tabuk, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, before rainfall gradually increases in September and becomes more widespread in October.
The National Center said precipitation later in the season could become moderate to heavy, with some areas at risk of very heavy rainfall, even as temperatures remain well above seasonal norms.
The Saudi forecast also points to stronger-than-normal winds during the three-month period, with wind speeds forecast to rise by as much as 2.4 metres per second above average in parts of southern, central and eastern regions by October.
