UAE weather: Cold wave and rain expected this weekend

Heaviest showers on the coast on Saturday afternoon

Stormy weather is expected in the Emirates this weekend. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Read more: Things to do when it rains in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates

Rain is forecast in the UAE this weekend, with cold weather expected to sweep across the country.

A band of rain that moved over Doha and Riyadh on Friday will make its way towards the UAE's coastal cities, according to Windy.com. Showers are expected to be heaviest on Saturday afternoon.

The UAE's National Centre for Meteorology said there would be cloudy weather on Friday, with a chance of rain and a drop in temperatures.

Highs of around 25 degrees C are expected in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be a degree warmer.

On Saturday, highs will be 24 degrees C with lows of 18 degrees. There will be cloud and rain of varying intensity on the coast and in the northern and eastern emirates.

On Sunday, the rain will have mostly passed, although there could be scattered showers during the day. Highs of 26 degrees C are expected as the weather warms up again. The evening will be humid into Monday morning.

Monday will be partly cloudy, with highs of 27 degrees C and also humid in the evening.

Police in Abu Dhabi issued weather warnings to motorists on Friday.

Drivers were asked to be careful on the roads as conditions could be dangerous, and to stick to the updated speed limits on the emirate's electronic signs.

The Ministry of Interior also shared a message of caution online.

“Due to the possibility of the exposure of several areas in the country to fluctuations in weather conditions, please take care while driving and avoid valleys and places where water flows,” the message read.