Will Dubai see more rain this week as April approaches?

Dubai: Just days after one of the heaviest rainfall episodes recorded in the UAE in decades, many residents may ask a familiar question again: are we going to see more rain, even as the country moves closer to the start of summer?

According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), the UAE is expected to experience a new but relatively mild spell of weather instability on Tuesday, March 31, and Wednesday, April 1, caused by the extension of a low-pressure system moving across the region.

The system will bring clouds moving from west to east, with cloud cover gradually increasing from Tuesday morning until midday Wednesday. 

Rainfall is expected to be light to moderate across scattered areas, while some eastern and northern regions may occasionally see heavier showers, the NCM said.

The forecast comes only days after intense storms between March 21 and March 28, when parts of the country recorded extraordinary rainfall totals, exceeding 240 millimetres in some locations, in what meteorologists described as one of the strongest rain events in more than 80 years of weather records in the UAE.

The upcoming weather pattern is expected to be much weaker than the previous system, though it may still bring noticeable changes across parts of the country.

Along with rain, southeasterly to northeasterly winds are expected to blow at light to moderate speeds, occasionally strengthening with cloud activity. These winds may raise dust and sand in exposed areas, reducing visibility at times.

By Wednesday afternoon, winds are expected to shift northwesterly, becoming moderate to fresh and occasionally strong over the sea. Temperatures are also expected to drop slightly during the unstable period.

Sea conditions in the Arabian Gulf may become rough to very rough at times on Wednesday afternoon, while the Sea of Oman is expected to be occasionally rough, according to the NCM.

The unstable weather is expected to ease by Thursday, April 2, when conditions across the UAE will return to fair to partly cloudy skies.

Humidity is likely to increase during the night and early morning hours, particularly along coastal and inland areas, raising the possibility of fog or mist formation early Friday.

Winds will remain northwesterly to southwesterly at light to moderate speeds, occasionally strengthening and blowing dust, with speeds ranging from 15 to 25 km/h and reaching up to 40 km/h at times.

By Friday, April 3, skies will remain fair to partly cloudy, with humidity persisting overnight into Saturday morning in some areas. Sea conditions are expected to gradually ease from moderate to slight in the Arabian Gulf and remain slight in the Sea of Oman.

Rainfall in late March is not unheard of in the UAE, but the frequency and intensity of recent storms have stood out.