Record-breaking temperatures in Sweihan and Abu Dhabi
Friday, May 24, 2025, brought extraordinary heat to the eastern region of the United Arab Emirates, where the town of Sweihan registered an astonishing 51.6°C (125°F). This temperature came within a fraction of a degree of the UAE’s all-time national record, which has stood since 2003.
Just a day earlier, Abu Dhabi also reached searing levels, recording 50.4°C (122.7°F). Both values exceeded the previous record for the month of May, set at 50.2°C (122.4°F). This marks a worrying escalation in springtime heat extremes across the Persian Gulf.
April heat also shattered national records
The current heat wave follows an already exceptional April, during which the UAE experienced a record average daily high of 42.6°C (109°F) — the highest ever for that month. These figures are part of a regional climate pattern that shows no sign of reversing.
Middle East facing extreme heat vulnerability
A 2022 report by Greenpeace, titled “Living on the Edge”, warned that six countries across the Middle East and North Africa, including the UAE, are highly vulnerable to the impacts of a rapidly warming planet. Increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, along with rising average temperatures, pose a direct threat to public health, infrastructure, and water security.
Global climate outlook grows more alarming
According to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is an 80% chance that at least one year between 2025 and 2029 will surpass the current global annual heat record, held by 2024. The same report states there is an 86% chance that one of those years will be more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, which is the critical threshold set by the Paris Agreement.
This brings the world dangerously close to temporarily breaching the long-term climate target, pushing us deeper into an era of climate-driven weather extremes, like those now being felt in the Emirates.
Clean energy solutions to counter global heating
As NASA has confirmed, human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, is directly responsible for Earth’s increasing temperature. That’s why a shift toward renewable energy is becoming ever more urgent — particularly solar power.
Japanese researchers have recently developed a new organic material designed to make solar panels greener and more efficient. At the same time, an international team is working to advance thin-film solar technology, hailed as “the future of the solar industry” by the American Solar Energy Society due to its cost-effectiveness, lower material usage, and ease of production.
Installing solar panels with home battery systems is becoming a key strategy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, protect against power outages, and cut household energy bills, all while helping to reduce carbon pollution that fuels dangerous warming.
