Mercury shoots to 51.6°C as UAE breaks May record

The United Arab Emirates breached its May temperature record for the second day in a row, hitting 51.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, within touching distance of the highest ever temperature recorded in the country.

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"The highest temperature recorded over the country today is 51.6°C in Sweihan (Al Ain) at 13:45 UAE local time (0945 GMT)," the National Center of Meteorology said in a post on X, just 0.4°C off the overall heat record in the Gulf country.

The meteorology office told reporters the highest ever temperature recorded in the UAE since documentation began in 2003 was reported at 52°C on Abu Dhabi's Al Yasat Island in 2010.

The nation lies in one of the planet's hottest regions and one which is particularly vulnerable to climate change.

The temperature in Sweihan—which lies 97km (60 miles) west of Abu Dhabi and of 50.4°C a day earlier in the Emirati capital exceeded the previous record for May of 50.2 degrees Celsius recorded in 2009, according to the meteorology office.

On Saturday in Dubai, where high temperatures in the mid-40 degrees Celsius were recorded, motorists complained air conditioning in their cars was struggling to stifle the sweltering heat, surprised the phenomenon had hit so early in the year.

On the streets, Dubai inhabitants were still out and about — some armed with parasols — and vendors selling water and local juice bars appeared to enjoy an uptick in customers.