Overview

• The UAE recorded a new May temperature high of 51.6°C in Sweihan (Al Ain) on May 24, 2025, according to the National Centre of Meteorology.
• This marks the second consecutive day the UAE broke its May heat record, surpassing the 2009 record of 50.2°C.
• The Middle East is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, exacerbating risks to water and food security, per a 2022 Greenpeace study.
• Scientists attribute recurring and intensifying heatwaves to global warming, with extreme heat days doubling globally over the past three decades.
• The UAE, located in one of the planet's hottest regions, faces heightened climate change vulnerabilities, including more frequent and severe heatwaves.