UAE weather: 49°C heat followed by rain and stronger winds

Dubai: Temperatures could reach 49°C in parts of the UAE on Saturday, with clouds building over northern and eastern areas before the prospect of rain increases across parts of the country over the next several days, according to the National Centre of Meteorology.

Saturday will be fair to partly cloudy, becoming cloudy at times towards the north and east. Temperatures are expected to ease slightly in some coastal areas, while humidity overnight and into Sunday morning could lead to mist over parts of the coast.

Inland areas will remain the hottest, with maximum temperatures ranging from 44°C to 49°C. Coastal areas and islands are forecast to reach between 40°C and 45°C, while temperatures in the mountains will range from 32°C to 38°C.

Winds will be light to moderate, freshening at times and reaching speeds of up to 35 km/h. Conditions at sea will remain slight in both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea.

On Sunday, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions are forecast over some northern and eastern areas, with clouds potentially bringing light rainfall. Humidity will rise overnight and into Monday morning along some coastal areas, where mist could again form.

Winds will reach up to 30 km/h, while seas will remain slight.

More unsettled conditions are expected from Monday, when convective clouds could develop over eastern areas during the afternoon and bring rainfall.

Winds are forecast to strengthen at times, reaching 40 km/h and stirring up blowing dust. Some western coastal areas could also experience mist overnight and on Tuesday morning.

The chance of rain is expected to extend further on Tuesday, when convective clouds may form over eastern and southern areas during the afternoon.

Similar conditions are forecast on Wednesday, with fair to partly cloudy skies and a chance of convective cloud formation in eastern and southern areas accompanied by rainfall.

Winds on both days could reach 40 km/h and cause blowing dust.

Sea conditions are also expected to become slightly rougher later in the forecast period. The Oman Sea could turn slight to moderate on Tuesday, while both the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea are forecast to be slight to moderate by Wednesday.

The five-day outlook points to a gradual shift from extreme summer heat and occasional cloud on Saturday towards a greater chance of afternoon rain, stronger winds and blowing dust from Monday through Wednesday.