4 Billion Years On

United Arab Emirates Climate – July 2026 Update

Top 5 Cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ajman

Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for United Arab Emirates

A fresh climate update for United Arab Emirates is being generated…

The new monthly summary is being written by Gemini in the background. This usually takes 5–10 seconds. The live climate data below is already up to date.

At a Glance

Temperature – Average

United Arab Emirates
Global
Land + Ocean
Jul
+1.8°C· 10th
36.7°C
+1.0°C· 2nd
17.0°C
Record
38.1°C (2017)
17.0°C (2024)
May–Jul
+1.8°C· 13th
34.9°C
+1.0°C· 2nd
16.5°C
Record
35.7°C (2017)
16.5°C (2024)
2025
+1.9°C· 9th
28.8°C
+1.0°C· 3rd
15.0°C
Record
29.1°C (2021)
15.2°C (2024)
Headline: anomaly vs your selected baseline (falls back to the 1961–1990 mean for a column without enough history for it) · Small figure: the actual value · Record = value on record for the ranking above

Climate Map – Global

Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.

Typical Climate – United Arab Emirates

Köppen BWh · Arid

United Arab Emirates has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 36.8°C, while January is the coldest at 19.1°C. Annual precipitation averages around 84mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.

Warmest month
Jul 37°C
Coldest month
Jan 19°C
Annual rainfall
84mm
Wettest month
Mar 20mm

Monthly climate normals (20162025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.

Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).

Long-Term Trends

Combined TimelineUnited Arab Emirates

Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.

MetricTemperature
10-Yr AverageActual Year

Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).

Heatwave Days – United Arab Emirates

Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.

Heatwave Days per Year2022 (Record)10-Yr Avg

Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.

Year-on-Year Trends

The 4byo Climate Helix – United Arab Emirates

1940202619611990 baselineColdest (1972)20162025 meanWarmest (2021)2026 so far
2026Jul
WetDryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1891-19202016-25Wet Start−346 days1891-19202016-25Wet End+22 days15°20°25°30°35°40°
Temp
28.2°C
+1.4 vs base
Precipitation
158mm
+67 vs base
Playback
8×
Mode
Presets

Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).

Monthly TemperatureUnited Arab Emirates

All years since 19722021 (Warmest)1972 (Coldest)2026 (Current Year)

Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).

Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).

Records – United Arab Emirates

Latest data Jul 2026
Warmest year
2021
29.1°C
Coldest year
1972
26.2°C
2026 so far
#8/87
28.2°C

Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean

Shifting Seasons

Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWh · Arid

United Arab Emirates has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±8.9°C) and a wet/dry cycle (21× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.

Shifting summer
27 days Longer
Warm Season
1940–1969 Baseline: 15 Apr → 25 Oct · 193 days
2016–2025 Now: 2 Apr → 7 Nov · 219 days
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spr 13 days EarlierAut 13 days Later
Shifting wet season
3 days Longer
Wet Season
1891–1920 Baseline: 21 Dec → 9 Mar · 78 days
2016–2025 Now: 10 Jan → 31 Mar · 81 days
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Onset 346 days EarlierEnd 22 days Later
-8.2% annual rain
baseline yr·recent yr·ring = global temp anomaly
Wet-season onset
21 Dec10 Jan
346 days Earlier
When 25% of annual rain has fallen
Wet-season end
9 Mar31 Mar
22 days Later
When 75% of annual rain has fallen
Peak-rain month
FebMar
+1 month
Wet months: 54

Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Dec (-8 mm, -54%).

Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).

Emissions & Energy

Explore

Explore Climate Data

Data Sources

Data Sources for United Arab Emirates

Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.

FAQs

FAQs

How is the climate in United Arab Emirates changing?

United Arab Emirates is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.

What is the climate like in United Arab Emirates?

United Arab Emirates has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 36.8°C, while January is the coldest at 19.1°C. Annual precipitation averages around 84mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.

Where does the climate data for United Arab Emirates come from?

Climate data for United Arab Emirates comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.

What is the climate baseline used on this page?

Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.

Which areas does the United Arab Emirates climate data cover?

The United Arab Emirates climate profile covers Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for United Arab Emirates

How often is the United Arab Emirates climate update refreshed?

The United Arab Emirates climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.

What counts as a Heatwave Day on the United Arab Emirates climate page?

Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.

Does the United Arab Emirates climate page include frost and snow data?

Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.