UAE set for wet weekend with high winds and drop in temperatures expected

Unsettled conditions have been forecast

The National Centre for Meteorology said there was a chance of light rainfall at the weekend. Antonie Robertson / The National

Parts of the UAE are set for a wet weekend with light rainfall, high winds and a steep drop in temperatures.

The National Centre for Meteorology said high humidity and dust storms were in prospect in the days ahead.

The Emirates has experienced unsettled weather in recent weeks, including scattered showers and bouts of fog.

UAE authorities issued a yellow weather alert for rain and thunder on Monday and Tuesday.

The Khor Fakkan-Dafta Road in Ras Al Khaimah was temporarily closed after it was blocked by falling rocks on Tuesday, following heavy rain.

The weather bureau said in its latest five-day bulletin that Saturday would be “dusty and partly cloudy to cloudy over some areas with a probability of light rainfall”.

There would be a “decrease in temperatures westward”, with strong winds of up to 55kph kicking up dust and sand which could hamper visibility for motorists.

Rain in the UAE — in pictures

The NCM said there was a chance of light rainfall on Sunday, accompanied by a “significant decrease in temperatures”.

Wind speeds could reach 60kph with rough seas expected in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

The NCM's online weather map states that the mercury will remain above 33°C in Abu Dhabi and 32°C in Dubai on Saturday, but will drop below 30°C in both emirates the following day.

The highest temperature at the weekend is forecast for Al Quaa in the Abu Dhabi desert, at 36°C on Saturday.

Temperatures will fall to as low as 25°C in Abu Al Abyad, an island off Abu Dhabi, on Sunday, the forecaster said.