The UAE’s spring season officially ended yesterday. Astronomically, today, June 21, marks the first day of the summer season.

Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society, took to Twitter on Monday to bid farewell to the spring season. He said the summer season would last for nearly three months.

The season begins today, the longest day of the year, with nearly 14 hours of daylight. According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), the day will be “hot during the day and partly cloudy”. Respite will come on Friday in the form of possible rainfall and decrease in temperatures.

Astronomically, the summer solstice marks the start of the summer season.

Temperatures have soared this month, with the last two days recording nearly 50°C. However, thanks to cloud-seeding operations, Al Ain and some other parts of the country saw some heavy rains last week.

Schools will remain closed in July and August for the summer break. Travel demand skyrockets around this period, with most expatriate families going back to their home countries for vacations. Dubai-based Emirates Airline said earlier today that it is preparing for its busiest period yet, “with over 550,000 customers expected to fly out from the UAE between June and July”.

“Daily booking volumes are accelerating as summer holidays draw closer, and Emirates is urging customers who haven’t planned their holidays or made travel arrangements to get ahead and book now to ensure they are able to travel on their preferred dates and flights,” the airline said in a Press statement.

The summer season will also see the Islamic festival Eid Al Adha. This would translate into a four-day weekend for residents. As per astronomical calculations, the break would likely be from Friday, July 8, to Monday, July 11.