UAE Hits Record May Temperature Of 51.6C

The United Arab Emirates lies in one of the planet's hottest regions and one which is particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Transcript

00:00These days, Dubai residents are cooling off under the shade of freeze and in front of

00:07mist machines as the United Arab Emirates breaches its May temperature record for the

00:12second day in a row, heating 51.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

00:19The desert nation, a top global oil exporter, lies in one of the planet's hottest regions,

00:24and one which is particularly vulnerable to climate change.

00:27The Metrology Office says the highest ever temperature recorded in the UAE since documentation

00:34began in 2003 was reported at 52 degrees Celsius at Abu Dhabi's Alyasad Island in 2010.

00:41The UAE, host of the COP28 climate talks in 2023, has just emerged from a record-breaking April

00:48with an average daily high of 42.6 degrees Celsius.

00:52Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming,

00:57and that these heatwaves are said to become more frequent, longer and more intense.

01:02According to 2022 Greenpeace study, the Middle East is at high risk of water and food scarcity,

01:08as well as severe heatwaves as a result of climate change.