United Arab Emirates Climate
Top 5 Cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ajman
This month in numbers
April 2026 was the warmest April on record for the United Arab Emirates, with an average temperature of 30.62°C, marking an anomaly of +3.8°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This makes it the 1st warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 also ranked as the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures.
What changed
The period of February to April 2026 saw the United Arab Emirates experience its 3rd warmest such period on record, with an average temperature of 25.24°C, an anomaly of +2.6°C. This continues a significant warming trend for the region, with the latest full-year average temperature for 2025 being 29.02°C, making it the 2nd warmest year on record. The long-term trend for the UAE shows a warming of +2.00°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The United Arab Emirates' 1-month anomaly for April was 12th warmest globally out of 234 regions.
What’s driving change?
The significant warming observed in the United Arab Emirates is influenced by the broader global warming trend, with land warming faster than the ocean. The region also experienced unusual weather patterns in the preceding months. In March 2026, severe thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall and widespread flooding across parts of the Middle East, including the UAE. This event was attributed to an abnormally strong jet stream drawing moist tropical air from the Indian Ocean. Such intense rainfall events are becoming more common as the climate warms, with a warmer atmosphere capable of holding more moisture.
Looking ahead
The evolving climate patterns suggest a continued focus on adapting to both rising temperatures and more extreme weather events in the coming months.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading 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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
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.