UAE braces for dust and light rain

Light showers, dusty winds and rougher sea conditions are set to affect parts of the UAE over the coming days, with the National Centre of Meteorology forecasting a shift from fair skies on Sunday to cloudier, more unsettled weather from Monday night through midweek. Coastal areas, islands and some eastern parts are expected to face the highest chance of rainfall, while winds could reach 40kph and reduce visibility in exposed areas.

The official forecast shows Sunday staying largely fair to partly cloudy, with light to moderate winds and relatively calm sea conditions. That pattern is expected to change by Monday night, when cloud cover is forecast to build over the coasts and islands, bringing a probability of light rainfall by Tuesday morning. By Tuesday, conditions are expected to turn partly cloudy to cloudy and dusty at times, with light rain possible over some coastal areas and islands and lower temperatures along western coastal stretches.

Forecasters say the unsettled spell is likely to continue into Wednesday and Thursday. The NCM’s five-day bulletin points to another drop in temperatures on Wednesday, with a chance of rain over islands as well as coastal and eastern areas. Thursday’s outlook remains similar, with partly cloudy to cloudy skies, dust in the air at times, and the possibility of showers extending over islands and parts of the coast and east. The pattern suggests a broad but mostly light weather system rather than the kind of intense nationwide downpour that disrupts daily life across all seven emirates at once.

Wind will be a central feature of the week. The NCM says southeasterly winds will shift northwesterly and northeasterly, strengthening at times to lift dust and sand, especially over western areas at first and then more widely over land. Speeds of 15 to 25kph, gusting to 40kph, are enough to create pockets of reduced horizontal visibility, particularly in open terrain and along roads prone to drifting sand. That raises the prospect of slower traffic in some corridors even where rainfall remains light.

Marine conditions are also expected to deteriorate as the week unfolds. The Arabian Gulf is forecast to become rough at times, first westward and later more broadly, while the Oman Sea is expected to shift from slight to moderate conditions and become rough at times by Thursday. That matters for fishing vessels, leisure craft and ferry or tourism operators, especially in areas where stronger winds combine with poor visibility. Weather bulletins carried by UAE media have echoed those warnings, noting that the combination of sea chop and airborne dust could create short-lived but significant hazards.

Temperature trends will vary by region, but the direction is broadly downward after the start of the week, especially near the coast. The NCM’s Sunday bulletin put daytime highs for coastal and island areas at 30C to 35C, with inland areas warmer at 34C to 39C and mountain regions markedly cooler. Reporting from local outlets indicates Abu Dhabi and Dubai are likely to remain in the mid-20s to mid-30s through the period, though the cooling effect of cloud cover and wind may be felt more sharply in exposed coastal districts.

The weather shift follows a stormier phase last month that brought exceptionally heavy rainfall to parts of the country. Coverage from The National said parts of Abu Dhabi and Ajman recorded rainfall equivalent to a year’s average on March 23, before a stronger storm system crossed the UAE on March 27, bringing thunder, lightning, local flooding and disruption to travel. That background helps explain the sensitivity around any forecast carrying rain and rough-sea warnings, even when the expected precipitation this week is lighter and more scattered.