Weather experts have predicted unstable weather in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next week, with warnings issued for heavy downpours, thunder, hail, and a temperature drop, according to reports.
The Emirates, especially Dubai, will witness a multi-day weather system which will peak between December 16 and 19. The “unstable weather” is caused by low pressure from both the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, which will push a huge amount of water vapour from the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea towards the region, Ahmed Habib, Meteorologist at the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), told Khaleej Times.
He added that another extension of low pressure in the upper layers of the atmosphere will move from the northern Middle East towards the UAE. “Due to this combination, clouds will begin developing over Saudi Arabia on Friday night, gradually moving towards the eastern parts of the UAE by Saturday,” explained, warning that a cloud cover will begin to spread across the country from Friday.
The cloud cover will bring light to moderate winds blowing in a southeasterly to northeasterly direction, with a speed of 10 to 20kmph, reaching 35kmph, and a chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday in the northern and coastal regions. There will be early-morning fog, caused by a rise in humidity at night.
Brace for the rains
The cloud cover will bring scattered showers, especially in the northern Emirates. “Saturday and Sunday will particularly see rainfall over the northern parts of the UAE. Following this, another upper-air low-pressure system will develop. A cold air mass moving from northern Saudi Arabia towards our region in the upper levels will increase atmospheric instability,” Habib said.
While rains will lash the entire country from December 15 to 19, the next weather, the next weather cycle, which peaks between December 16 and 19, bringing rainfall to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. “However, the northern and eastern parts of the UAE typically experience stronger local effects, so rainfall there may be more intense, with chances of thunder and even hail associated with convective clouds,” he said.
