The change

Early this morning as I was buzzing around the house trying to find one of the girls a pair of socks for school, I stepped out onto our balcony and it hit me. The smell of summer in Dubai. A musty strange smell. It means one thing – winter is definitely over.

As I went to the supermarket to pick up the daily milk and bread, businessmen sat outside in the 8am sun sipping coffee before work. Beads of sweat appearing on the forehead. Not before long, morning brews will be drunk inside away from the early blazing sun. Winter is definitely over.

It may only be spring, but the coolness in the breeze has gone. People are panicking, trying to fit all the outdoors in that they can. One of the school mums remarked to me recently: "There's a lot of pressure this time of year, trying to make the most of the outdoors before the heat arrives." The morning radio tells me: "Get out there and do something, before you know it you'll be stuck inside saying 'why didn't I…'"

People are camping, there's al fresco dining, playing at the park, lazy strolls along the beach.

The change has arrived. Summer is coming.