United Arab Emirates: How To Survive The Heat In Dubai

June has begun and the silly summer is truly underway. Temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more becomes the normal. It is accompanied by very hot winds, which means that it is still very hot when the sun sets.

I came over to live in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over 3 years ago. I've acclimatised to the heat, but this still comes as a shock. In terms of visiting Dubai and the rest of the UAE, it is more advisable to travel during the winter months.

This timings of the seasons are similar to England except hotter. July and August are the hottest months. It is much cooler from December and January. The school holidays run through the hottest months of July and August. Most teachers will go home or travel. Last year, we spent 4 weeks in the UK and 4 weeks in Philippines.

However, my wife, @sherylneil is pregnant, therefore we will be staying. This was also the case 2 years ago when we had our first child, Robbie.

How will I survive?

Air Conditioning

Probably man's best friend. Everywhere is air conditioned. That includes buses and trains.

To make best use of the air conditioning, windows will be kept shut throughout to stop the heat from entering. I will also put some tape around the window frames to keep any hot air out.

Wearing White

It does make a difference to wear white or light coloured shirts.

Wear A Vest

When my brother-in-law from India recommended wearing a vest, I thought he was crazy. But thin light cotton vest helps to pull in the sweat in the right areas. This helps to cool the body and acts as a natural moisturiser. This is great if your an eczema sufferer. I’ve noticed I suffer less here than I did in the UK.

Umbrella

You need shade. What better way than to use an umbrella. Even if you’re a guy, no-one will laugh at you. That's not how life is here.

Drink water

Water is boring, but it must be drunk.

Halo Halo

A Filipino Ice Cream dessert. It is mega cold and perfect for these hot days. I like to have a cup of tea with it.

The Summer Is The Winter

The winter is the summer, i.e. the time when you try to get outdoors as much as possible and enjoy the sunny but cooler temperatures.

That means I will go out less during the summer. A good time to catch up on those missed movies and other indoor activities.

You Still Have To Go Out

You can’t stay home 24/7, you have to go out at some point. Even if it is just for a half hour walk, it is still important to leave the house and get some exercise. This also helps with acclimatisation.

I hope this gives some insight into the life in the Middle East over the summer. There is one good thing of course; it is much quieter. Therefore shops and traffic is less busy.

All pictures taken on my Lenovo K5 smartphone over the last 6 months.