Chasing the rain? These six destinations are just a short flight from Dubai

Dubai: Dubai is sitting at a dry 36°C this week, with next to no rain in the forecast through Friday. If the idea of clouds, humidity and actual rainfall sounds appealing right now, a handful of destinations within a few hours' flight are currently seeing exactly that.

I checked live weather data and current round trip fares from Dubai to find where the rain is falling right now, rather than where it is simply meant to be monsoon season, then weighed that against which routes are actually affordable this week.

Here are six options, ranked with an eye on both the weather and the wallet.

Goa is one of the two budget picks on this list, and also the wettest. It is currently seeing light rain, with an 80 to 90 per cent chance of more through the middle of the week, so a proper monsoon soaking is close to guaranteed if you go now. Expect lush hillsides, quiet off season beaches and some of India's best seafood, all at a fraction of Dubai's prices.

Weather right now: Around 28°C, light rain currently falling, 80 to 90 per cent chance of more through Wednesday

Flight time: About 3.5 hours direct via Sharjah on Air Arabia, or one stop options via Abu Dhabi or Dubai 

Round trip from: Dh1,000 to Dh1,750 in July, with Air Arabia's Sharjah routes currently tracking as the better baseline rates

Salalah barely counts as a proper flight, and it is currently in the middle of Khareef, the seasonal monsoon that turns this normally dry stretch of southern Oman into a misty, waterfall fed green valley for a few months every summer. The rain itself is lighter than Goa's, more drizzle and fog than downpour, but the temperature drop and the scenery change are dramatic.

Weather right now: Around 28°C, misty conditions with a 15 to 20 per cent daily chance of rain 

Flight time: Under 2 hours direct on flydubai, Air Arabia or Etihad 

Round trip from: Dh950 to Dh1,350 in July; Khareef demand is pushing fares up, and Air Arabia flights out of Sharjah or Abu Dhabi are currently among the cheapest options

Kerala is where the Indian monsoon shows off the most, and Kochi, along with hill stations further inland such as Munnar, is noticeably greener right now. Rain chances climb through the week, though this is also the route where fares are least forgiving this month, so it is worth comparing a few different dates before booking.

Weather right now: Around 30°C, rain chances rising to 65 per cent by Tuesday 

Flight time: About 4 hours direct

Round trip from: Around Dh900, though July is currently the priciest month on this route, with fares climbing well past Dh1,500 depending on dates

Colombo is warm and only partly cloudy today, but the rain builds steadily through the week, climbing to a 75 per cent chance by Thursday. It suits travellers with a bit of flexibility on dates, and the food scene and colonial era architecture are worth the trip regardless of what the sky is doing on any given day.

Weather right now: Around 31°C, partly sunny today, rain chances climbing to 75 per cent by Thursday 

Flight time:About 4.5 hours direct 

Round trip from: Around Dh970

For an actual drop in temperature rather than just rain, Georgia is the strongest option here. Tbilisi currently sits at a noticeably cooler 24°C and cloudy, with rain likely both today and again on Wednesday. It also serves as the gateway to Batumi, Georgia's Black Sea coast and a city known locally for grey skies even at the height of summer, roughly four and a half hours onward by road or a short domestic flight.

Weather right now: Around 24°C in Tbilisi, cloudy with rain likely today and Wednesday 

Flight time: About 3.5 hours direct on flydubai or Air Arabia 

Round trip from: Dh1,800 to Dh2,000 direct, though a one stop option via Istanbul on Pegasus can bring that down to around Dh1,350 if you do not mind the layover

The furthest destination on this list is also the best weather match for actually chasing rain. Addis Ababa sits at altitude, which makes it the coolest city here by some distance, and the forecast backs that up, with an 85 to 90 per cent chance of rain through the middle of the week. It costs more to reach than the rest, but if cool and wet is genuinely the goal rather than just an excuse for a holiday, this is where you will find it.

Weather right now: Around 21 to 23°C, cloudy with an 85 to 90 per cent chance of rain through Wednesday 

Flight time: About 4 hours direct on flydubai or Air Arabia 

Round trip from: Dh1,450 to Dh1,750 in July

Fares on all these routes move quickly and vary a lot by exact date, so treat the prices here as a range rather than a quote, and the weather as a snapshot rather than a forecast for your actual travel dates.

If budget is the priority, Salalah and Goa are tracking as the most affordable picks, and both also happen to be where the rain is most active right now. If a genuine break from the heat matters more than the price, Addis Ababa and Georgia are the two actually delivering cooler air, though both cost more to reach.

One tip that applies across the board: keep an eye on departures from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi as well as Dubai, since Air Arabia's routes to Goa and Salalah in particular are currently pulling some of the best baseline rates.