Scientifically: the reasons for the occurrence of heat waves in the summer of the Arabian Peninsula and the rise in temperatures to the early fifties Celsius

Written By محمد عوينة on 2023/06/22

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.

Weather of Arabia - The Arabian Peninsula is affected by heat waves during the summer, which is part of its usual climate, as temperatures rise to levels exceeding 50 degrees Celsius in parts of Iraq, Kuwait, and the deserts of the Emirates and Oman, in addition to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the city of Jeddah. The reasons for the formation of heat waves are similar in all parts of the world, but the desert climate in general and the climate of the Arabian Peninsula in particular have a specificity centered on the mechanism (physical, meteorological and chemical) behind the formation of heat waves throughout it.

 

The most important reasons that cause heat waves in the summer of the Peninsula can be summarized:

 

First: solar radiation

The sun is the first source of energy and is the source of heat for the planet, and there is no doubt that the main reason for the high temperatures in the summer of the Arabian Peninsula is the perpendicularity of the sun's rays to the northern hemisphere, and the increase in the rates of sunshine and the length of the day.

 

Second: the subtropical high altitude

The subtropical high altitude contributes to the occurrence of what is known as the "heat dome" phenomenon, which increases the sinking currents - compressing the air in the lower layers of the atmosphere, causing a rise in temperatures.

 

Third: the thermal surface depressions

As for thermal depressions, their formation is closely linked - with solar radiation and dry deserts - through a process known meteorologically as (Conduction), where the land heats the layer close to it and a floating process occurs in a vertically narrow area. Thermal depressions contribute to high temperatures (as a secondary factor) in many regions of the eastern Arabian Peninsula.

 

Fourth: Topography of eastern Arabia

The terrain nature, the area extending from Iraq in the north down to the Arabian Gulf basin and reaching the Empty Quarter, is a low area and close to sea level, so it is a theater for the activity of thermal depressions and thus captures the high temperature.

 

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.


Browse on the official website



The Arabian Gulf: Thunderstorms will affect these countries on Tuesday, July 15.Amid scorching weather, 50 degrees Celsius is the highest temperature recorded in the UAE today, Monday, in this region.Subtropical storms may affect Arab countries in the fall, and there are fears of a repeat of the famous Derna storm, in light of the boiling Mediterranean Sea. See pictures of a huge iceberg breaking away and drifting towards a village in Greenland as a result of accelerated melting due to global warming.Spain | Heavy rains, floods, missing persons, and a state of emergency declared in 25 provincesSaudi Arabia | Areas covered by rain and dust forecast for Tuesday, July 15, 2025 AD... DetailsVideo: A cell phone explosion caused by the heat sparks a fire inside a vehicle in Jordan, and the driver warns.Iraq recorded 51 degrees Celsius, ranking 8th on the list of the world's hottest regions yesterday.The heat dome intensifies over the Maghreb. What impact will this have on the Levant?