So far, this exchange has happened countless times:
"So, Tara, what do you think of Abu Dhabi so far?"
And my reply is always, "It's... hot. It's nice. It's really, really hot."
Admittedly, I feel a bit pathetic about this. I'd like to be able to comment on other things, but so far my first impressions have been entirely taken up by the heat. I knew it was going to be hot. I even knew it wasn't going to be a dry heat, in spite of the desert climate. (Proximity to the gulf adds a great deal of moisture to the air.)
Even knowing all this, I still couldn't anticipate just how hot it was going to be. A hot day in Vancouver is in the high 20s. I thought New York summers were hot and humid, with days in the mid-30s, but they've got nothing on Abu Dhabi. It's the kind of heat you need to experience to understand. We've been hovering around 40-45C since we arrived, with humidity pushing the temperature up to the mid-50s some days. Even in the evenings--the only time we've really dared leave the safety and comfort of the air conditioned indoors--the temperature rarely falls more than a few degrees, remaining in the mid-30s with humidity keeping the temperature up around 40.
It's a kind of heat that feels dangerous, honestly. Obviously I'm taking a lot of precautions in terms of staying hydrated and limiting time outdoors, but it's amazing how quickly the heat can sneak up on you, even in the evenings when the sun is down. I am very slowly acclimating. I no longer turn beet-red when I step outdoors, or break into an instant pouring sweat. And luckily, cabs are plentiful and cheap here, so should you find yourself going from zero to heat stroke, you can always jump in a blessedly air-conditioned vehicle and take yourself home again.
(This, too, has happened countless times.)
"So, Tara, what do you think of Abu Dhabi so far?"
And my reply is always, "It's... hot. It's nice. It's really, really hot."
Admittedly, I feel a bit pathetic about this. I'd like to be able to comment on other things, but so far my first impressions have been entirely taken up by the heat. I knew it was going to be hot. I even knew it wasn't going to be a dry heat, in spite of the desert climate. (Proximity to the gulf adds a great deal of moisture to the air.)
Even knowing all this, I still couldn't anticipate just how hot it was going to be. A hot day in Vancouver is in the high 20s. I thought New York summers were hot and humid, with days in the mid-30s, but they've got nothing on Abu Dhabi. It's the kind of heat you need to experience to understand. We've been hovering around 40-45C since we arrived, with humidity pushing the temperature up to the mid-50s some days. Even in the evenings--the only time we've really dared leave the safety and comfort of the air conditioned indoors--the temperature rarely falls more than a few degrees, remaining in the mid-30s with humidity keeping the temperature up around 40.
It's a kind of heat that feels dangerous, honestly. Obviously I'm taking a lot of precautions in terms of staying hydrated and limiting time outdoors, but it's amazing how quickly the heat can sneak up on you, even in the evenings when the sun is down. I am very slowly acclimating. I no longer turn beet-red when I step outdoors, or break into an instant pouring sweat. And luckily, cabs are plentiful and cheap here, so should you find yourself going from zero to heat stroke, you can always jump in a blessedly air-conditioned vehicle and take yourself home again.
(This, too, has happened countless times.)
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