United Arab Emirates weather by month

In Dubai, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around August 3 and lasts for 3.7 months, ending around November 24. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 99% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around November 25 and lasts for 5.4 months, ending around May 7. The cloudiest month is March, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 20% of the time.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Across the year, average wind speed in Dubai is typically light breeze, near 13 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 6.7 months, from around Jan 28 to Aug 19. The windiest month is May, averaging about 14 km/h (light breeze).

The calmer part of the year runs from around Aug 20 to Jan 27, with October the calmest month at about 11 km/h.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Dubai receives about 6.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.1 and 7.7 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.5 months, from around Mar 15 to Sep 29. The brightest month is May, averaging about 7.7 kWh/m² (intense).

The dimmest month is December, down near 4.2 kWh/m² — roughly 46% less than the May peak.