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29 March 2024

Weekend Weather: Cloudy skies; temperatures dip up to 11°C

NCMS warned motorists to be careful on roads. (Ajanta Paul)

Published
By Staff/Inputs from Bindu Rai

Cloudy skies to persist, especially over internal and southern areas, with chances of light rain.

Cloud cover will decrease by evening.

However, fresh and strong wind may cause blowing up of dust.

Minimum temperatures in mountainous areas is expected to dip to hover between 7 and 11 degree Celsius; while internal areas will see a minimum of between 16 and 18 degree Celsius.

Humidity will also dip to 85 per cent.

EARLIER REPORTS:

Residents wake up to rain-soaked UAE [video]

Light rains lashed several areas of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen, and Sharjah in the morning as cool winds helped bring down the temperatures across the country.


Video: Ajanta Paul. Video speed has been altered

Some western areas of the region also experienced light to moderate rain and the weather is expected to last through the weekend.

In fact, the unstable weather will last four days, with a marine warning also in place, with very rough seas throwing up wave heights of 10 feet, the UAE's weatherman said on Thursday.

UAE's National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has forecasted rainfall of different intensities and fresh to strong wind causing blowing dust and poor visibility at times.

The NCMS also confirmed the continuity of unstable weather over most areas of the state and confirms warning of fresh to strong winds and rough sea in the Arabian Gulf and rough in Oman Sea.

Strong winds kicked up dust and reduced visibility for drivers on Thursday evening.

Winds as high as 45kph will lower temperatures across parts of the country but forecasters at the National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology warned motorists to be careful on roads.

Earlier Forecast

The UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has also said ‎some parts of the country will experience a sudden drop in temperatures, measuring up to eight degrees Celsius, even as strong winds kick up dust and sand across other parts of the emirates.

The unstable weather will last four days, with a marine warning also in place, with very rough seas throwing up wave heights of 10 feet.

"The UAE will be affected by a low pressure system over the next few days, which will bring unstable weather to most of the country and strong northwesterly winds that will raise dust and sand across open areas and limit horizontal visibility on the roads,” said an NCMS spokesperson.

The system has already started with its gradual effect bringing rain, and the occasional thunder activity, to the UAE on Tuesday.

Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah recorded different intensities of rainfall, while Umm Al Quwain experienced a brief thunderstorm.

The weather will continue in a similar pattern today, with a chance of rain over northern UAE and the islands, which will continue into Thursday.

“Fresh to strong winds will blow over land and sea, with highs of 55kmph forecasted. The northwesterly winds in the western region will bring about low visibility conditions with the blowing dust and sand, but it will also result in a significant drop in Mercury of nearly eight degrees Celsius,” said NCMS.

Before you pull out those winter jackets again, the NCMS has stressed the cooler climes will be limited to the western region, such as Madinat Zayed and Ruwais which saw temperatures reaching highs of 41 degrees earlier this week.

"Dubai, Abu Dhabi city, and Sharjah will still remain hot and dusty," the spokesperson added.

The following 48 hours will also see the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea with rough, to very rough, conditions, the forecaster further added.

By Thursday night, towering clouds are expected to bring in more rainfall, with the spokesperson adding: "There will be different intensities of rain along the coastal and western region, and maybe also in some northern parts of the country."

A further drop in Mercury, averaging five degrees Celsius, would cool off most of UAE by Friday.

The unstable weather will continue until Saturday, with the marine warning still in effect.

The NCMS further said this low pressure system has been sweeping across the Gulf, bringing dust storms and rain across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.