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Sharjah, the third-largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates, sits on the Persian Gulf coast between Dubai and Ajman, on a low desert plain at around 8 metres above sea level and approximately 25.35°N, 55.42°E. It has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) with long, extremely hot, humid summers and short, warm winters, the Gulf adding humidity to the desert heat.
Summer, from May to September, is long, blisteringly hot and humid, with August the hottest month — average highs around 41°C and sultry nights near 30°C. The Gulf loads the air with moisture that pushes the 'feels-like' temperature well beyond 45°C, making the midday heat dangerous and air conditioning indispensable, though a sea breeze brings limited relief on the coast. Rain is essentially nonexistent.
Winter, from December to February, is warm, sunny and pleasant, with January the coolest month — average highs around 25–26°C and cooler nights near 14–16°C. This mild, dry season is comfortably the best time of year, with warm days, lower humidity and clear skies, and the Gulf warm enough for swimming. Genuine cold is unknown, though rare cold nights can feel chilly.
Sharjah is very dry, receiving only around 85–100 mm of rain a year, almost all of it between December and March, with the long summer completely rainless. When rain does come it can arrive as sudden, intense downpours, and because the flat terrain drains poorly these can cause localised flooding. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.
Sharjah shares the climate of neighbouring Dubai: extreme, humid summer heat, mild sunny winters and near-total dryness. Its most disruptive weather comes with the shamal, a hot northwesterly wind that raises dust and sandstorms across the coast, especially in summer, while the combination of heat and Gulf humidity is what makes the long summer so physically demanding.
To follow any single measurement in Sharjah more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.