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Gulf States Record High Temperatures After Summer Solstice

Days will gradually shorten as the Earth orbits until the autumnal equinox on September 22 (SPA)
Days will gradually shorten as the Earth orbits until the autumnal equinox on September 22 (SPA)
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Gulf States Record High Temperatures After Summer Solstice

Days will gradually shorten as the Earth orbits until the autumnal equinox on September 22 (SPA)
Days will gradually shorten as the Earth orbits until the autumnal equinox on September 22 (SPA)

The Arab Gulf region saw temperatures soar earlier this week after a hot spell, with Makkah, Saudi Arabia, hitting 51 degrees Celsius last Monday.

 

Despite this, Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology assured Asharq Al-Awsat that current summer temperatures haven’t exceeded those of the past three years, typically ranging from 38 to 48 degrees Celsius over the season’s 92 days.

 

The summer solstice, marking the start of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere, occurred on June 20 at 11:50 PM local time, with the sun directly over the Tropic of Cancer.

 

Days will gradually shorten as the Earth orbits until the autumnal equinox on September 22.

 

In recent days, Saudi Arabia reached highs of 49 degrees Celsius in Al-Qaysumah and Al-Ahsa.

 

Meanwhile, the UAE's Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Al Ain recorded 47 degrees Celsius, and Oman saw its highest temperature of 49.2 degrees Celsius in Al-Dhahirah.

 

Qatar’s Jumayliyah hit 48 degrees Celsius, while Kuwait anticipated 50 degrees Celsius in Jahra.

 

Bahrain expected temperatures to reach 45 degrees Celsius over the weekend.

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Space Pioneer Says Part of Rocket Crashed in Central China

FILE: This artist's illustration courtesy of Blue Origin obtained October 25, 2021, shows the core module of Orbital Reef. Handout BLUE ORIGIN/AFP/File
FILE: This artist's illustration courtesy of Blue Origin obtained October 25, 2021, shows the core module of Orbital Reef. Handout BLUE ORIGIN/AFP/File
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Space Pioneer Says Part of Rocket Crashed in Central China

FILE: This artist's illustration courtesy of Blue Origin obtained October 25, 2021, shows the core module of Orbital Reef. Handout BLUE ORIGIN/AFP/File
FILE: This artist's illustration courtesy of Blue Origin obtained October 25, 2021, shows the core module of Orbital Reef. Handout BLUE ORIGIN/AFP/File

Beijing Tianbing Technology Co said on Sunday that the first stage of its Tianlong-3 rocket under development had detached from its launch pad during a test due to structural failure and landed in a hilly area of the city of Gongyi in central China.

There were no reports of casualties after an initial investigation, Beijing Tianbing, also known as Space Pioneer, said in a statement on its official WeChat account, Reuters reported.

Parts of the rocket stage were scattered within a "safe area" but caused a local fire, according to a separate statement by the Gongyi emergency management bureau.

The fire has since been extinguished and no one has been hurt, the bureau said.

The two-stage Tianlong-3 ("Sky Dragon 3") is a partly reusable rocket under development by Space Pioneer, one of a small group of rapidly growing private-sector rocket makers over the past five years.

Falling rocket debris in China after launches is not unheard of, but it is very rare for part of a rocket under development to make an unplanned flight out of its test site and crash.

According to Space Pioneer, the first stage of the Tianlong-3 ignited normally during a hot test but later detached from the test bench due to structural failure and landed in hilly areas 1.5 kms (0.9 miles) away.

The performance of Tianlong-3 is comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9, according to Space Pioneer.

In April 2023, Space Pioneer launched a kerosene-oxygen rocket, the Tianlong-2, becoming the first private Chinese firm to send a liquid-propellant rocket into space.

Chinese commercial space companies have rushed into the sector since 2014 when private investment in the industry was allowed by the state.

Many started making satellites while others including Space Pioneer, focused on developing reusable rockets that can significantly cut mission costs.

The test sites of such companies can be found along China's coastal areas, located by the sea due to safety reasons.

But some are also sited deep in the country's interior such as Space Pioneer's test centre in Gongyi, a city of 800,000 people in the central province of Henan.