Dubai: Rain lashed some parts of the eastern region Thursday afternoon, with more showers expected this weekend.

The  village of Masafi received moderate to heavy rainfall at around 4pm on Thursday afternoon due to towering clouds that formed in the area, according to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology.

The rest of the country was hot, dry and hazy with temperatures ranging the high 50s.

Forecasters expect more rain clouds to form this weekend over the eastern and southern areas.

The afternoon showers these areas experienced this week are not uncommon during summer due to their location, near the mountains.

Forecasters explained that since these areas are near the Hajar mountain range, the mountains block the sea breeze from moving further inland and pushes it up into the upper atmospheric layers.

This air cools down to 0 degrees Celsius as it climbs up, which then condenses into water droplets that fall as rain in the nearby areas. In this case, in Masafi.

This is why records show that areas near the Hajar mountains receive up to 350mm of rain annually compared to only 120mm in other parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Friday’s weather will be hot to very hot and hazy at times due to light to moderate winds that may kick up dust and sand.

The sea will be moderate becoming rough by night in the Arabian Gulf, and rough in Oman sea.