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anaxiforminges
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 136
Location: UAE
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 Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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| helmsman wrote: |
You will find that some of the worst snobs here in the Gulf are western lower class who suddenly find themselves fairly well paid with good benefits, health club memberships, etc and start to imagine themselves as superior to everyone else! |
So true! How do I know that without ever having set foot in the UAE? From watching a Discovery channel 6-part documentary series, one of which showed Dubai's "Hot 100" list. The list was made up almost entirely of airheads who clearly thought that hobnobbing with other overpaid yobs was the apex of human achievement. The more interesting list was the "Top 100". People who actually make a difference in the UAE, including architects, doctors, teachers, etc... |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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| anaxiforminges wrote: |
| So, how does August heat rate in relation to other months? |
The average high will likely be within a degree or so for months on end. The weatherman in the Gulf sends in a tape in May and it can be pretty much rerun daily through October. "The high today was be 4XC and the low will be 3XC with light and variable winds off the Gulf."
With extreme heat, like extreme cold, it is hard to detect the difference. I grew up with extreme cold and I can tell you that -40 (which is where C and F meet) doesn't feel different from -25F when you are running to the car. The only difference is that you will die faster if you get lost on the way. I found that once the temperature hits about 45C (104F), this is also true of hot temps, it is just hot and it is the humidity is what makes it so bad. You will find that it rarely "officially" gets over 49C because if it gets to 50C, they must send the outdoors workers home...
An interesting fact to me was that once the temperature is over 45C, it feels exactly the same on your skin (in the shade) as -40C. It burns. The other thing that shocked me was walking out of the house and having my glasses fog. Growing up in cold country, glasses fogged when you went into the house. 
VS |
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Rawdata
Joined: 22 Jan 2009
Posts: 34
Location: State of Confusion
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| Most people don't realize that May is one of, if not the, hottest months of the year. |
As one who worked a few years in Oman, I concur 100% with VS. May often can be the hottest part of the year. It probably has something to do with its proximity to India where May is definitely the hottest month. In Oman, it can be a toss up between May and another other month- long period of mid-July to mid-August. I always found May the most uncomfortable.
To add to jdl's list I say:
Its so hot they actually have a labor law (in Oman) that says that all outdoor work must cease when the temperature goes above 50 celsius.
This never really happens of course since it never goes (officially) above 50  The temperature is never discussed on the radio or TV. Why would it ? It's sunny most every day and, everyone knows it, it isn't news!
I could never find a thermometer in stores there, so I bought one while on vacation. It once hit 54 and several times above 50 (unofficially, of course) and people were working outside, from sunrise to sunset. You could tell early in the day when it would be a cooker, it would be about 45C at 7 AM.
I prefer the desert dryness to the Muscat or Dubai humidity. Humid weather feels like 10 degrees hotter than in the dry inland areas at identical tempetature. If the newcomer has a choice, I'd pick Al Ain over Dubai if only for that reason. The former is like a pizza oven, the latter like a 130 F degrees steam bath.
RD |
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anaxiforminges
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 136
Location: UAE
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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@ VS and Rawdata:
And no ice-cold beer?! How will we survive? |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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Ah! An' therein lies the rub..you DO have access to ice-cold beer! Welcome to the M.E.!
NCTBA |
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helenl
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1202
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| There are ice cold ones, just stock up before Ramadan and don't go staggering down the street. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 1:42 am Post subject: |
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Hey helen1... I see a problem for the new arrivals this year. Will they be able to get a liquor license and stock up before Ramadhan? I hope you old timers will share with them.
Anaxi will be in Sharjah... which is dry... sooo... It may be a month before he figures out access to the 'ice cold ones.' He will have to be strong!!
VS |
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smedini
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 178
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 1:56 am Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
With extreme heat, like extreme cold, it is hard to detect the difference. I grew up with extreme cold and I can tell you that -40 (which is where C and F meet) doesn't feel different from -25F when you are running to the car. The only difference is that you will die faster if you get lost on the way. |
Thanks VS...
Of course what you say here is true so I don't know if you were being facetious or not, but I'm still chuckling over this one  !
~smedini |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 3:06 am Post subject: |
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Well, yes I was being a bit facetious. But, it is also a fact.
VS |
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anaxiforminges
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 136
Location: UAE
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 3:57 am Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
Hey helen1... I see a problem for the new arrivals this year. Will they be able to get a liquor license and stock up before Ramadhan? I hope you old timers will share with them.
Anaxi will be in Sharjah... which is dry... sooo... It may be a month before he figures out access to the 'ice cold ones.' He will have to be strong!!
VS |
I'm bracing myself already, VS! 
Would I be ok if I bought a bottle of scotch at the DXB duty free and brought it with me to Sharjah? Is that kosher, as it were? |
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helenl
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1202
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 4:10 am Post subject: |
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You can buy scotch, beer and wine on arrival at both Dubai and Sharjah airports (the latter surprised me  )
I think you're limited to 2 bottles of liquor, 2 bottles of wine and a 24 of beer - but I don't think you can take in all 3 at the same time - anybody know for sure? |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 4:26 am Post subject: |
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Be strong, anax!!! We all gotcher back, buddy!
NCTBA |
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Afra
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Posts: 389
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:04 am Post subject: |
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Yes, I meant state owned high school which have large classes and minimal discipline. However, the students coming from the Institutes of Applied Technology are in general better than the others, better prepared and better behaved.
August is usuallly hotter than May in Dubai, the nights certainly are. So far, no water streaming down the windows in the mornings. The sudden change from reasonable temperatures to high temperatures as happened recently is very noticable. In July and August, if the Governemnt approves, outside workers are allowed a couple of hours off in the hottest part of the day. However, they are usually too far away from their living quarters to return home so have to find shade where they can. Some companies then make them work later to cover the lost time. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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Many years it seemed like a switch was hit and overnight we went from the wonderful mild "winter" to getting up to living in the oven. I definitely agree with Afra that as the 'summer' goes on, the lows go up... until they have little relation to a 'low.'
I just glanced at the forecast on my Yahoo page for today in Muscat it says a high of 35(96) and a low of 34(94) but it also says that the current temperature is 40(104).  Rather looks like their guess for the high wasn't very good.
Abu Dhabi is still having lows below 30 or so they say on my weather page. I would expect that the difference is that in the Emirates the prevailing wind comes off the Gulf and in Oman, it comes more from the land. Thus, Muscat has a much lower humidity level much of the time, but the lows can be pretty much the same as the high.
Unfortunately, my weather page doesn't offer Al-Ain as a comparison.
VS |
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spicegirl
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 112
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Current temperature in Al Ain at 10.30 p.m. is 33 centigrade. The forecast low for today was supposed to be 27 degrees - so I guess it's going to get 'cooler' later ...? Forecast for tomorrow is high of 45, low of 26 (or probably something above that). It's feeling very hot these days, and the change came quite suddenly. It is almost June, after all. |
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