The Antares star will peak over the UAE by December 7, marking the start of colder weather

A man walks with umbrella when it rained in Sharjah. For illustrative purposes only. Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News

Also in this package Fair weather during the day in UAE, humid at night this weekend

Dubai: The UAE’s winter season will arrive sooner than you think.

The Antares star – the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius – will be seen on Friday December 7 and mark the start of the colder weather, according to astronomers.

Sharjah-based astronomer and meteorologist Ebrahim Al Jarwan, said that the Scorpion star, which was traditionally used in the Arabian Peninsula as an indicator of a shift in temperature, was usually accompanied with strong winds and rainfall.

The cold season typically lasts about 40 days and is expected to continue until the middle of next January.

“The temperature in the Arabian Peninsula will fall to below zero degrees Celsius in the northern region and reach a minimum of 10 degrees in the southern regions. The severe cold will be especially felt in the northern areas, and at night time in particular. But by the middle of January, the cold season will start to decline,” said Al Jarwan.

The UAE weather bureau also confirmed that a change in temperature is likely to place on Friday, with some rain affecting the northern areas.

Meanwhile, the weather on Thursday will be partly cloudy during the day with some fog and haze affecting the coastal areas at night and Friday early morning.

Minimum temperatures are expected to range from 16-20 degrees Celsius in coastal areas, while the mountain areas will have a minimum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius and highs of 24 degrees Celsius.

In the internal areas, the temperature will reach a maximum of 31 degrees Celsius with lows of 14 degrees Celsius.

“The weather on Friday will be relatively wet over the coastal areas and be partly cloudy, with the probability of some precipitation in the northern areas,” said the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).

Light to moderate southeasterly to northeasterly winds will blow over the next few days, reaching a speed of 15-25 km/h, and up to 40 km/h at times over the sea.