UAE tops 50C in highest May temperature on record

The United Arab Emirates registered a sizzling 50.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, the highest on record for May, following weeks of sweltering temperatures in the desert nation acutely vulnerable to climate change.

Worshippers at Friday prayers reported feeling faint and some residents appeared unsteady on their feet, even in a country that is accustomed to extreme temperatures.

The highest temperature was recorded in an area of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the oil-rich Gulf state that lies in one…