Chapter 6: Weather
Hot, Humid, Dry and, occasionally, very windy
06.09.2022 - 06.09.2022 103 °F
Chapter 6: The Weather
September 6, 2022
An oppressive and sweltering summer, when temperatures can soar to 130oF and humidity is high, is not the time to come to Dubai. And, to the untrained eye, it may be--for the wealthy--a fine time to flee Dubai. There are certainly cooler places in the world where one of means may linger. In Florida, we call seasonal Canadians who decamp there "Snowbirds." What label shall we award Emiratis or other non-citizen residents who opt for Switzerland or Montevideo during this sweltering heat? "Sandlords?" One thing is seemingly certain. No matter how much money you have, you cannot buy more comfortable weather. Another thing is absolutely certain - while the humidity is really not bad at all, if one has naturally curly hair and spends more than 10 minutes outdoor at a time, it is certain that most of the time blowing it out straight is a complete waste of time.
But then summer comes to an end offering surprisingly pleasant winter. During September—while we are in Dubai—the daily average high temperature is triple digit hotoF with a low of 81oF. By the middle of this month, the weather normally begins to cool but humidity rises. We'll let you know if the weather really begins to cool by mid to late September. Meantime, long walks aren't the best idea unless you want heat stroke. We tried that this past Sunday, a story you will read in a few days - remember my comments have to stay in the structure of the topics!
Fall offers cooler weather but fog sets in. January is the time to come here for good weather: 73oF with a low of 57oF. Thinking about a dip in the ocean to cool off? Good luck with that as the sea temperature can reach 99oF. Humidity runs around 62% year-round because Dubai sits on the shore of the Arabian Gulf rather than far inland in the desert. But this isn't the hottest place on earth: Burkina Faso (in the horn of Africa) takes the honors as the world’s hottest country. It only beats Dubai by a bit over two degrees but I'll be that this is one ranking where Dubai is happy to not be #1!
Due to the weather, there are two different types of bus stops here: ‘regular’ and ‘air-conditioned.’ The most recent census of bus shelters that I could find—2018—listed 884 air-conditioned shelters here. They have been added and expanded as part of an effort to boost the share of users of public transport to 30 per cent by 2030.
This is today's radar searching for precipitation. Tomorrow's Chapter 7 is about water. I will go deeper there about rain but for this chapter, let's just say It does rain—occasionally at best between December and April. The average precipitation, however, is less than four inches per year. It is dry around 340 days of the year and on the other 25 days what does fall consists of a short downpour or a bit from the occasional thunderstorm. One source lists March as being the wettest month averaging 0.01” of rainfall.
Today's air quality is "Poor." The sky is hazy--we are told with sand particles. While we were visiting with a counterpart via video-conference back on August 15th, he remarked that there was a sandstorm going on. Sandstorms occur when strong winds lift sand from the nearby desert. People are advised to stay indoors, cover their car (and swimming pool) and, if they must go outside, to wear a facemask and goggles. Visibility can fall, sometimes to less than a quarter mile. The Khalleej Times—a local newspaper—reports that air traffic is usually not greatly impacted by these sandstorms. However, the August 15th sandstorm prompted the rare issuance of a ‘Red Alert’ with 44 Dubai International Airport flights being cancelled over an 18-hour period and 12 inbound flights diverted to Dubai World Central airport south of Dubai center city.
Sandstorms such as the one depicted in the Tom Cruise movie “Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol” are “a rare event.”
July is the windiest month. The Atumnal Equinox will occur while we are here on September 23 when the sun will rise at 6:08am and set at 6:15pm. Dubai’s annual seasonal day length varies by only about three hours. In Kansas City, seasonal day length varies by 5.5 hours.
This is what's on our temperature horizon. So, it made sense for us to take the elevator up a few floors to 46, the rooftop, after work today. The TAJ infinity pool is there.
The temperature today topped out at 103oF. If you examine the background once we pan away from the TAJ sign, you will notice the stark difference between what is developed and what is not. Clearly, they have kidnapped the desert sand to make it bloom--the existence of the undeveloped parcel illustrates what was and what is.
Today's haze was minimal--particularly compared to what we saw upon arrival Saturday. The Burj Al Arab (the sail shaped hotel) is quite clear. However (even though you are peering through plexiglass) the Burj Kalika--the world's tallest building--is much less clear. The interesting point is that on Saturday and Sunday, you couldn't see it at all. We are confused by the temperature of the water in the pool as it is very cool. The sign says it is 86oF but it feels cooler. What is perplexing to me--a former swimming pool owner--is that the water isn't "hot." Given the daytime highs and the nighttime lows, it seems to me the water should be less, shall we say, bracing. I've come to the conclusion that they must chill it to keep that from happening.
After a bracing dip, the idea of staying in for dinner seemed like a pleasant change. If we were to eat in restaurants 3 meals a day for the 22 days we will be here, it is likely we would have to buy new clothes in another size to get us home. We're determined that is not going to happen, it will be a major challenge for us.It is a five-minute walk to Spinney’s. Escorted there on our first day here by the Chief Concierge at the TAJ, Richard William, Spinney’s is a beautifully merchandised mini-supermarket. First, it is sparkling clean. Second, every shelf is beautifully maintained with every product label faced. The deli food is more attractive early in the day than it is later on, however.
Brands, both familiar and unfamiliar, stand in orderly fashion ready to be snatched up. For the kids, you can opt for Kellogg’s Coco Pops or a Value Pack of Chocapic—it comes in a new bear shape. And talk about brand extensions: note the Reese’s Puffs. If it is produce you’re after, they have a fine selection. There is plenty of cut fruit just inside the door. Should you desire a rotisserie chicken, one can be had for the equivalent of $5.00. It's not a Costco chicken but pretty good.
If you probe deeper into the store, way in the back, there is a separate room labeled “For non-Muslims.” What’s inside? Bacon? They’ve got it in the back room. There is a lot of Spam, both Classic and Low-Sodium.
If you don’t want to make the trek, they have a bunch of delivery guys standing by.
