UAE announces the astronomical start of spring tomorrow
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomical and Space Sciences, predicts that the spring season will commence astronomically in the Emirates on Wednesday, March 20, at 07:07 am local time.
This marks the vernal equinox, where the sun is perpendicular to the equator and starts moving northward towards the Tropic of Cancer.
During the spring equinox, day and night are of equal length. As the season progresses, the sun's apparent movement shifts northward, leading to longer days in the northern hemisphere. The season brings about changes in nature, with pastures flourishing, trees sprouting leaves, fruits ripening, and favorable conditions for planting and sowing various crops. However, the latter half of spring, around early May, sees a rise in temperatures and increased summer wind activity.
In the evenings of spring, notable celestial phenomena can be observed. The Big Dipper, also known as the daughters of the Great Coffin, shines on the northeastern horizon, while Leo occupies the middle of the sky. Gemini and Sirius descend westward, and the star Suhail appears above the southwestern horizon after sunset, setting towards the end of April. Similarly, Thuraya sets about 10 days after Suhail.
Weather patterns during spring exhibit mild temperatures initially, ranging from 18 to 32 degrees Celsius. As the season progresses, temperatures increase, reaching highs between 21 and 38 degrees Celsius in the middle and 24 and 41 degrees Celsius towards the end. Northwest winds prevail, occasionally accompanied by storms and spring weather disturbances, with an average rainfall of about 15 mm.
The spring season also marks the onset of tropical conditions in the northern Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, starting from early May to mid-July and peaking in June. Tropical cyclones are expected to occur approximately every three years in the Arabian Sea, with over 25 hurricanes recorded in the past 50 years.
