UAE cautions against heavy winter rains, expecting a 5°C temperature drop
Hold on to your sweaters a bit longer! Following a bout of substantial showers in Dubai and Sharjah on Sunday morning, UAE residents should prepare for cooler weather in the coming days, with temperatures anticipated to decrease by up to 5°C over the next 48 hours.
This atmospheric shift is attributed to a low-pressure system originating from the east, which triggered the morning rainfall on Sunday. Dr. Ahmed Habib, a seasoned meteorologist from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), explained the meteorological phenomena leading to the cloudy skies and subsequent downpour. Notably, parts of Dubai, including Jumeirah and the Expo City areas, experienced heavy rainfall.
Starting on January 28, Dr. Habib elucidated that the influence of northwesterly winds from the north will result in a temperature drop of up to 5°C, particularly in the western regions of the country. Coastal areas are expected to range between 24-26°C, while internal areas may experience maximum temperatures of 25-28°C. This is notably lower than the temperatures of 32°C and 31°C recorded on Saturday and Friday, respectively. The meteorologist emphasized that while it will be relatively cold, the official winter months extend until March.
Dr. Habib underscored that the rainfall on Sunday is a consequence of a low-pressure system originating from the east at the surface level, which began on Saturday. This system's extension in the upper atmosphere from the west led to the development of convective clouds over the Arabian Gulf, progressing towards the coastal region from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah.
Notably, Jumeirah and Expo areas experienced substantial rainfall, with the weather system progressing eastward into inland areas between Dubai and Fujairah and between RAK and Fujairah. Varying intensities of rainfall were reported in these regions. The meteorologist predicted a diminishing cloud cover Sunday afternoon, leading to a dry night.
In contrast to previous years, the UAE has witnessed a drier winter, according to NCM experts. Dr. Habib highlighted that, while this is not uncommon, the low rainfall this January is notably weak, with a generally low frequency of rain. Despite this, Sunday was considered one of the better days, and the meteorologist forecast continued humidity over some coastal and internal areas, fair to partly cloudy weather, and occasional cloudiness over islands and some western areas at night. Light to moderate northwesterly winds and rough to moderate sea conditions in the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea are also expected.
