UAE Beaches Turn Perilous With Onset of Summer
Tread carefully in beach waters, warn local authorities.
If UAE residents think that getting doused in beach water is a safe way to beat the heat of the oncoming summer, they should take caution. Deceptively dangerous currents known as ‘Al Sayura’ are afoot and are reportedly powerful enough to suck in beach-goers who wade too far into the water. Life guards, no doubt, will be making waves to keep visitors out of troubled waters.
Sunday, March 12, 2024 was officially the first day of summer in the Arabian Gulf. The start of the season is marked by the appearance of two adjacent stars called the ‘Al Shurtan’. According to the Emirates Astronomical Society (EAS), the celestial development marks the start of temperatures soaring past 40 degrees celcius and humidity falling below 30 per cent.
Along with its advisory to alert residents about the perilous currents, the EAS has also notified locals of the increase in the dry and dusty northwesterly winds. This phenomenon known as the ‘Barah’ is likely to persist till mid-July when it will be replaced by the warm-and-dry ‘Sumoom’ winds.
Spokesperson for the EAS – Ibrahim Al Jarwan – stated that the current change in seasonal weather facilitates the ripening of dates, figs and mangos, while fishermen start casting their nets for sharks, groupers and barracudas. It looks like residents can look forward to sumptuous seafood and a lot of fresh fruit this summer.
