Sweihan town in Abu Dhabi recorded the highest daytime temperature globally at noon yesterday reaching 50.5 degrees Celsius, a forecaster from the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology has told Gulf News.

The hot spell in the UAE is expected to persist today, but the temperature is likely to drop significantly in the western part of the country.

The mercury hovered around 45 degrees Celsius and reached the 50C mark in the interior parts of the country. Dubai recorded a temperature of 43.6C at the Burj Khalifa weather station, while the temperature in the southern parts of Abu Dhabi such as Hamim touched 49.1C, Umm Azimul was pegged at 48.9C and Qasyoura reached 48.4C.

A trough is a large area of relatively low pressure that occurs either on the Earth's surface or at higher altitudes. The surface trough that the UAE is currently experiencing originated in the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia. It is characterised by a hot air mass that is moving towards the UAE as it is associated with the south-easterly wind.

As the hot air rises to the east of the trough, it cools and its humidity will condense and form clouds and precipitation. Colder, drier air tends to prevail to the west of the trough.