KUWAIT CITY, July 9: Scientists predict that July 2024 will be one of the hottest months on record worldwide. Kuwait is set to experience a severe heat wave over the weekend with temperatures possibly exceeding 52 degrees Celsius.

Meteorologist Fahad Al-Otaibi informed that Kuwait will be affected by a high-pressure system combined with the seasonal Indian depression. Starting from Tuesday, temperatures are expected to rise gradually, reaching 48 degrees Celsius, climbing to 49 degrees on Wednesday, and peaking at 52 degrees Celsius on Thursday and Friday.

Al-Otaibi advised citizens and residents to avoid direct sunlight during the day and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

Director of the Meteorology Department, Abdulaziz Al-Qarawi, echoed these concerns in a statement to KUNA, highlighting that the severe heat wave will impact the country over the weekend. He predicted that maximum temperatures would exceed 50 degrees Celsius in some areas.

Al-Qarawi attributed this extreme weather to a high-pressure system in the upper atmosphere coupled with the seasonal Indian low-pressure system on the earth's surface, which brings an extremely hot air mass to the region, particularly affecting desert areas.

NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies reported that July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded globally. With temperatures continuing to rise, scientists fear that July 2024 may surpass last year's record, making it the hottest month in recorded history.

July is typically the hottest month of the year in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere due to the summer solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is most directly tilted toward the sun, resulting in maximum solar exposure.