Hazy weather in UAE; chance of rain

LATEST: Hazy conditions will continue over the UAE on Saturday, according to NCMS.

The skies will be partly cloudy over some areas, with the amount of clouds increasing especially to the east, with chance of convective clouds development over the eastern areas associated with rainfall.

EARLIER REPORT:

Weather warning was issued on Friday at 5.30pm by NCMS for the UAE.

The raging sandstorm has reduced visiblity around Dubai World Central's Al maktoum airport to just 300 metres, it said.

The hazy, dusty climate that engulfed parts of the region on Thursday, and reduced visibility in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is continuing into the weekend as another weather system shifts across the UAE.

The country’s National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has warned of ‘strong winds and a possible sandstorm’ that will reach the UAE by Friday morning, bringing with it rainfall towards the east of country, especially around Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain.

A marine warning is also in place for the weekend, with the NCMS forecasting high waves and rough seas over the next 48 hours.

Speaking with ‘Emirates 24|7’, a spokesperson with the NCMS stated: “The weather system that has swept across the Gulf over the past two days is a high pressure system that has originated from western Iraq and has gradually made its way down to engulf Iran, along with Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Qatar and UAE.

“However, the northwesterly winds that have blown that weather system towards the Gulf will shift by Friday to the southeasterly direction, blowing in a low pressure air mass from over the Arabian Gulf and bringing with it high winds, dusty climes and rough seas over the weekend.”

The NCMS has stated, Friday morning will see wind speeds pick up, reaching highs of 55 kilometres per hour, giving rise to convective clouds in the eastern part of the UAE.

The spokesperson added: “We will see rainfall in the east by Friday, with the wet weather probably continuing into Saturday as well.”

The hazy, dusty weather will also give rise to sand across open areas, dropping horizontal visibility in parts, with the NCMS warning this will continue as well into Saturday.

The spokesperson further stated: “As this pressure system is moving in from over the Arabian Gulf, there is a marine warning in place, especially for fishermen that venture into deep waters.

“Both, the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea, are expected to be rough over the weekend, with wave heights to reach over seven feet.”

The Mercury is also expected to rise further over some areas, hitting close to 50 degrees Celsius in parts.

Over the past 48 hours, a sandstorm has swept across most of the Gulf, with the UAE issuing a warning of low visibility in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, the Kuwait Ports Authority halting maritime traffic at Shuwaikh, Shuaiba and Doha ports due to bad weather conditions on Thursday.

The Qatar Met department also issued a weather warning over hazy, dusty climes on Thursday, with visibility dropping to two kilometres or less in parts.

Western Iran has borne the brunt of the weather system, recording strong winds at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, which caused property damage and cut power lines.

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