Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Saudi weather experts revealed about the emergence of the Suhail star over the horizon of Arabia on Aug. 24, heralding the end of hotter days and gradual declining of temperature in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Dr. Khaled Al-Zaaq, member of the Arab Union of Astronomy and Space Science, said that during the 13-day duration of Suhail, the atmosphere would be preparing to move from the phase of blazing heat to the moderate heat, and subsequently there would be the gradual decline in temperature and humidity with the passage of time. “After 52 days, we would experience the nicest, most beautiful and wonderful days of the year,” he said.

Al-Zaaq said that there are nearly two weeks left, and we are going to bid farewell to the scorching heat with the passage of 13 more days.

For his part, Dr. Abdullah Al-Misnad, professor of climate at Qassim University and former head of the Saudi Weather and Climate Society, said that some observers believe that the entry of the Suhail star on August 24 coincides with a significant decrease in temperature and a change in the atmosphere. He also expected the possibility of high humidity on the western and eastern coasts of Saudi Arabia until mid-September, when the atmosphere begins to improve significantly.

Suhail, also known as Canopus, is the second brightest star in the sky after Sirius. Its appearance has great significance for Middle Eastern people. The giant, bright white yellowish star, appears Aug. 24 before sunrise, and then begins to advance day after day until it rises in the middle of the sky at midnight at the end of the month of September, featuring gradual decrease in temperatures until the autumnal equinox on September 23. “Suhail’s appearance means the beginning of the end of summer: the days begin to get shorter and temperatures begin to decrease,” said an expert.

According to folklore, the celestial body is a harbinger of abundance and everything good. The Suhail star is the most-anticipated star in the Arab world as it finally signals the end of summer and the gradual beginning of cooler days in the desert.