Dubai: Temperatures across the UAE are expected to dip further before the current cold spell begins to ease, with sub-zero conditions forecast at the summit of Jebel Jais around dawn, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Board Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.

Al Jarwan said the sharp chill gripping the country is being driven by the activity of what is locally known as Riyah Al Na‘ash, cold northerly to north-easterly winds that originate deep within the Asian plateau, Emarat Al Youm reported.

These winds, he explained, draw their name from the direction of the stars Banat Na‘ash and are associated with very low temperatures in their source regions, pushing colder air masses southwards over the UAE.

During daylight hours on the previous day, temperatures in most cities failed to rise above 20°C, while higher elevations of around 1,200 metres remained below 10°C. At Jebel Jais, which rises to about 1,900 metres above sea level, readings stayed under 5°C for much of the day.

With wind speeds reaching around 24 km/h and air temperatures close to freezing, heat is drawn rapidly from the human body, making conditions feel closer to 5 or 6 degrees below zero, even though surfaces themselves may not reach those levels.

The coldest conditions of the year, he added, typically occur during the period known as Al Shabt, which runs from 15 January to 10 February. Data shows that the stretch between 12 and 24 January often brings the lowest sustained temperatures of the season.

According to readings from the Jebel Jais weather station operated by the National Center of Meteorology, the temperature dropped to 0.2°C at 5:45am yesterday, accompanied by 100 per cent humidity and winds of 24 km/h. The station itself sits at an elevation of about 1,480 metres, meaning temperatures near the mountain’s summit are likely to have fallen below zero.

“With the high humidity recorded in the early morning hours, frost formation was a real possibility,” Al Jarwan said, adding that the cold wave is expected to begin breaking after tomorrow, bringing gradual relief across the country.

Source: Gulf News