Dust storms and strong winds are being reported in some parts of Dubai and other UAE emirates right now. The National Center of Meteorology issued a fresh weather warning about strong winds of up to 50km/hr affecting the country between 11:15am and 4pm on Wednesday.
A senior NCM official told Gulf News that the UAE was being affected by "unstable weather coditions" on Wednesday. He said: "We are seeing the county is being affected by low pressure and convective clouds. These clouds are originating in the western part of the UAE and moving towards internal parts. These clouds are different from yesterday's clouds that were only associated with rainfall. Today's convective clouds are associated with strong winds along with rainfall. In meteorology, we refer to the phenomenon as a down draft."
He added: "The winds can even go up to 65km/hr. Visibility will be extremely poor, we urge residents to be cautious, especially if they are outdoors in exposed areas."
The NCM further confirmed that the UAE will see unstable weather, overcast skies, rainfall, thunder and lightning in different intensities till May 2.
The weather bureau will also be continuing cloud seeding operations that started on April 27, in order to enhance rainfall in the country.
Rainfall was reported in parts of the UAE today again.
On Tuesday, a senior official told Gulf News that cloudy weather pattern is normal at this time of the year in the region. He said: "We call this period between winter and summer as the transaction period. It's quite a normal weather pattern. For 10-15 days we see a trough from the west of the country moving towards the east. Sometimes it affects the UAE."
The situation will peak on the weekend, the NCM confirmed.
It will be mostly the coastal areas of the UAE, which will see rainfall from time to time. The clouds and rain activity will take place only time to time, "there are gaps between these waves of rainfall," the official explained.
The country's weather bureau has advised residents to exercise caution while driving due to poor horizontal visibility. The NCM also said it is best to avoid wadis during rainfall, where water can collect.
The UAE saw temperatures reaching over 40°C this week. The rainfall is not expected to affect the temperature or cause any noticable dip.
Sea will be moderate to rough especially with clouds in the Arabian Gulf and in Oman Sea.
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