ABU DHABI // If you can't handle the heat, this weekend would be a good time to stay indoors in the afternoons.
A southern air flow from the desert is expected to send temperatures soaring to 47°C.
"The southerly flow has increased the temperature by two to three degrees," a spokesman at the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology said.
"On Wednesday we recorded a maximum of 46°C and we expect this to continue during the weekend. Maximum temperatures could reach as high as 47°C in shade."
The situation is exacerbated by high humidity brought by sea breezes in the afternoon. "With the increased humidity, people feel as if the temperature is high, while in fact it is not. You feel hotter than if the air was dry," the spokesman said.
Humidity will increase on Saturday in western parts of the country, reaching 80 per cent in places. The heat is expected to persist until Sunday, with temperatures dropping slightly early next week.
Although the hot weather is a reminder of what awaits this summer, truly extreme temperatures are still a few weeks away.
"During this month the temperature may reach 48°C or 49°C on some days, but these are extremes and they would not continue long," the spokesman said. "The monthly average for May is usually between 43°C and 46°C.
"As you know, July and August are the hottest months of the year with temperatures sometimes reaching over 50°C."
vtodorova@thenational.ae
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How they line up for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6 Romain Grosjean, Haas
7 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
*8 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
9 Carlos Sainz, Renault
10 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
11 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
13 Sergio Perez, Force India
14 Lance Stroll, Williams
15 Esteban Ocon, Force India
16 Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
17 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
18 Charles Leclerc, Sauber
19 Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
20 Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
* Daniel Ricciardo qualified fifth but had a three-place grid penalty for speeding in red flag conditions during practice
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5