The autumn season in UAE is set to begin on Wednesday, September 23, according to astronomical calculations announced by a top official.
Bringing respite to residents from the peak summer heat, the new season will begin at 4.05am, when the constellations of Gemini, Taurus, Leo, Sirius, Canopus, and Pleiades will shine in the eastern part of the sky at dawn.
Meanwhile, winter clouds are set to arrive in mid-October, with the chance of rain increasing after the middle of autumn, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.
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The average high temperature at the beginning of the season will be 39°C and will drop to 26°C. In the middle of the season, around early November, the mercury will see highs of 31°C and low of 18°C. At the end of the season, temperatures will rise to just 25°C and dip to a chilly 13°C, coinciding with the winter solstice on December 22.
Humidity is also expected to increase in the first half of autumn, with fog forming during the early morning hours.
Autumn equinox
While speaking to Wam, Jarwan said the first half of autumn is considered the best time for planting throughout the Arabian Peninsula, as it is when seedlings are transplanted, saplings are planted, and seeds are sown for the autumn agricultural season.
The autumnal equinox on the other hand occurs astronomically when the sun is perpendicular to the equator and declining towards the south, resulting in an equal amount of hours during the day and night.
A week after the equinox, the night will begin to increase at the expense of the day, and the length of the midday shadow in the UAE will be close to half the length of the right-hand shadow at the beginning of the season, after which it will begin to increase.
Source: Khaleej Times