The Suhail star’s annual rise over the UAE marks the start of a gradual shift away from peak summer heat, though residents should expect weeks of high daytime temperatures before any real relief arrives. The star, also known as the Star of Yemen, was due to appear on 24 August but cloud, fog and humidity of 80 per cent or more blocked attempts to observe it from Khor Fakkan that night.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society, was on site waiting to spot it. ‘The humidity was high, at 80 per cent or more, and fog had formed, so we were unable to observe it,’ he said in an update posted to X. Al Jarwan noted that the star had been observed on 24 August the previous year but conditions this year were less favourable.
He said stars maintain their annual rising times regardless of conditions, and that the general public should be able to spot Suhail in clear skies within about a week of that date.
What the Suhail star UAE summer transition actually means
The appearance of Suhail does not bring an immediate drop in temperature. It marks the beginning of a roughly 40-day transitional period called Sufriya, during which conditions shift gradually from intense summer heat towards something more tolerable. The change is generally felt at night first; daytime temperatures can remain high throughout September.
Al Jarwan has previously compared the process to a cooking pot that stays hot after the flame has been turned off. The stored heat takes time to leave, and the traditional saying linked to Suhail refers to cooler nights rather than the sudden end of summer.
Weather during Sufriya is expected to fluctuate before settling around the middle of October, when the traditional Wasm season begins. The UAE’s winter arrives considerably later than that.
Traditional calendar and the institutions tracking it
Suhail holds a central place in Al Duroor, the UAE’s traditional astronomical calendar. The system divides the year into 36 periods of ten days, each linked to astronomical and climatic conditions. Communities historically used it to time planting and harvesting, anticipate winds and rainfall, identify fishing seasons, and track the migration of birds.
The rise of Suhail anchors the calculations of Al Duroor, making it one of the most watched astronomical events in the traditional calendar.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre’s Hijri Calendar for 1447 AH includes coverage of ancestral practices such as observing Suhail, developed in collaboration with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, the National Centre of Meteorology, the International Astronomical Centre in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Municipalities and Transport, and the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology, alongside Islamic scholars, astronomers, and Emirati researchers.
The Centre also publishes a digital app incorporating prayer timings, Qibla direction, tidal information, and annual events, and its YouTube channel hosts a series covering lunar phases, their influence on tides, seasonal characteristics, and local poetic traditions linked to astronomical events including Suhail.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre was established in 2008 by decree of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court.
For those hoping to spot Suhail, Al Jarwan’s advice is to look for a clear, fog-free pre-dawn sky. Once visible, the star’s appearance in the southern horizon traditionally signals that the worst of summer is behind the UAE, even if September temperatures suggest otherwise.
