50 ° in the shade
This blog began as a description of our life in Al Ain, UAE (United Arab Emirates). Brn worked at the UAE University Libraries Deanship for three years and Bss homeschooled our four children, D, B, P, and O. After returning to the the USA for five years, we are living in Abu Dhabi now.
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
2007/07/13
2007/06/28
Al Ain Weather August
A recent visitor got here by searching for Al Ain Weather August, so I'll tell you: August (and July) weather in Al Ain is very hot (45°C+ everyday) and pretty dry, so it is more bearable than Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
And it is always sunny - there are (almost) no cloudy days and no rain.
After sunset, it cools off but the humidity goes up too.
The good news about all this is that you don't have to worry about what the weather will be like the next day.
And it is always sunny - there are (almost) no cloudy days and no rain.
After sunset, it cools off but the humidity goes up too.
The good news about all this is that you don't have to worry about what the weather will be like the next day.
2007/06/26
Bad Weather and Bad Decisions
Yesterday Bss had a doctor's appointment in Dubai, so we experienced the low visibility conditions that the GN reports on here, but it was even worse in the afternoon between Dubai and Al Ain.
We had just gotten across the Abu Dhabi border when the wind really picked up. Visibility was probably less than a kilometer and then it started raining — actually raining isn't right, it was pouring. The highway, which is not designed for water runoff, quickly developed deep puddles. By the time we got to Al Ain, there was some pretty spectacular lightning.
The bad decisions came when we saw several people who, during the worst of the lightning strikes, parked their cars directly under underneath the electrical transmission towers, which are all metal and were by far the tallest things in the area. While no one went so far as to actually paint a bullseye on their roof, they might as well have. Fortunately, no one seems to have been struck.
We had just gotten across the Abu Dhabi border when the wind really picked up. Visibility was probably less than a kilometer and then it started raining — actually raining isn't right, it was pouring. The highway, which is not designed for water runoff, quickly developed deep puddles. By the time we got to Al Ain, there was some pretty spectacular lightning.
The bad decisions came when we saw several people who, during the worst of the lightning strikes, parked their cars directly under underneath the electrical transmission towers, which are all metal and were by far the tallest things in the area. While no one went so far as to actually paint a bullseye on their roof, they might as well have. Fortunately, no one seems to have been struck.
2005/07/18
Rain!
It is raining this afternoon! I feel like a little kid at school when it starts to snow. I ran outside and stood on the porch enjoying the sight and smell of it. This makes twice it has rained since I have been here. I must be good luck ;)
2005/07/11
Sand storm
A friend and I made a spur of the moment trip to Abu Dhabi yesterday afternoon to visit a friend who is leaving the UAE. So I missed out on this sand storm. Actually the storm arrived just as we were leaving town (and you could see it coming), but after about 5 minutes of travelling toward Abu Dhabi, we were out of it.
2005/07/05
Weather in Al Ain
It has only rained just the one time since I've been here, so the weather is basically pretty boring: hot and dry. So when I look at the Weather Underground link, it usually just says Sunny or Partly Cloudy. But today and one other day it has said:
This is really the only way I could describe it. I wouldn't call it a sandstorm, it is just that the wind is blowing sand everywhere - in your eyes, mouth, nose, under your door, through any cracks in your house.
This is really the only way I could describe it. I wouldn't call it a sandstorm, it is just that the wind is blowing sand everywhere - in your eyes, mouth, nose, under your door, through any cracks in your house.
2005/07/03
The heat
I came here knowing that it would be hot. But it is difficult to describe just what it is like here. And I always have the comfort of knowing the worst is still to come.
I landed in Dubai at about 11:00 PM. After going through customs and collecting my bags, it was nearly midnight before I walked outside. The minute the doors opened to the outside, it was nearly impossible to breathe. To say it was like walking into a sauna doesn't do it justice. The first thought to go through my mind was "maybe I have made a mistake here."
Once we got to Al Ain though, it was much better. It is much drier here than in Dubai (or North Carolina for that matter), and it makes a big difference. It has been over 110 almost every day that I have been here. But unless you are in the direct sunlight or moving around during the worst part of the day (11:00 am to 5:00 pm or so), it really isn't so bad.
But in the direct sunlight it is a different matter. It is impossible to describe just how violent, how brutal the mid-day sun is here. It is almost as if I can feel my skin burning.
I made the mistake of walking around in the middle of the day my first week here. I walked slowly about a mile or so, and by the time I got to where I was going (the mall), my heart was racing and I felt as if I was ready to collapse. So it is good to see that the government has mandated that outdoor workers be given a break from 12:30 to 4:30.
I landed in Dubai at about 11:00 PM. After going through customs and collecting my bags, it was nearly midnight before I walked outside. The minute the doors opened to the outside, it was nearly impossible to breathe. To say it was like walking into a sauna doesn't do it justice. The first thought to go through my mind was "maybe I have made a mistake here."
Once we got to Al Ain though, it was much better. It is much drier here than in Dubai (or North Carolina for that matter), and it makes a big difference. It has been over 110 almost every day that I have been here. But unless you are in the direct sunlight or moving around during the worst part of the day (11:00 am to 5:00 pm or so), it really isn't so bad.
But in the direct sunlight it is a different matter. It is impossible to describe just how violent, how brutal the mid-day sun is here. It is almost as if I can feel my skin burning.
I made the mistake of walking around in the middle of the day my first week here. I walked slowly about a mile or so, and by the time I got to where I was going (the mall), my heart was racing and I felt as if I was ready to collapse. So it is good to see that the government has mandated that outdoor workers be given a break from 12:30 to 4:30.
2005/06/13
Safe in Al Ain
I have made it safely to Al Ain! Still have very limited access to a computer, so my posts will be quite spotty for a while. The University is putting me up at the Hilton while I get paperwork done and everything else. I ran into a small visa problem (I stupidly got the wrong kind of visa stamp on my passport), but that has now been worked out and tomorrow morning I should be able to finish up my medical exam and remaining paperwork.
I have been doing just a little sight seeing and a lot of sleeping while trying to adjust to the time change. The weather is pretty hot, but really not a lot worse than North Carolina in August. Of course, August will be worse than it is now, so check with me in a couple of months. It actually rained yesterday, something I thought that I wouldn't see for a while. I went out and walked around it in for a few minutes.
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