The middle third of January is expected to be the coldest period of the winter season across the Gulf region, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences. In a statement issued this week, Al Jarwan said the dip in temperatures coincides with a traditional weather phase known in Gulf folklore as “Der Al Sittin”, literally “the sixty days”, a period famed for its biting cold, often described in local proverbs as sharp as a “knife’s edge.” During this time, Al Khaleej newspaper reported, early mornings are forecast to bring bone-chilling cold, particularly in desert areas where temperatures could plunge below 5°C. “The period from January 10 to 22 generally marks the lowest temperatures of the season across the region,” Al Jarwan noted. The cold snap aligns with the evening culmination of the Thuraya (Pleiades) constellation, a celestial event long associated with harsh winter chills in Arab heritage. Al Jarwan also pointed out that the first full moon of 2026, commonly referred to as the “Wolf Moon,” coincided with the Moon reaching its perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it appear unusually large, a so-called “supermoon”. […]