Dubai weather alert: Unsettled skies and rain expected this weekend

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has forecast continued unsettled weather conditions on Saturday, with skies expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy at times and the formation of convective clouds bringing rainfall to parts of the country, particularly northern areas.

In its daily weather bulletin, the centre said cloud cover is expected to fluctuate throughout the day, with a chance of rainfall over limited areas as weather systems continue to affect the region. 

The unsettled conditions are linked to a wider phase of atmospheric instability that the NCM is monitoring through December 21.

Winds on Saturday are expected to be moderate to fresh, strengthening at times in association with cloud activity. The NCM warned that stronger winds may raise dust and sand in some areas, leading to reduced horizontal visibility, especially in open and inland locations.

According to the forecast, winds will shift from southeasterly to northwesterly, with speeds ranging between 15 and 30 kilometres per hour and gusts reaching up to 45 km/h at times.

Sea conditions are expected to remain rough in both the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. In the Arabian Gulf, high tides are forecast at 12.21pm and 2.57am, with low tides at 8.07pm and 6.41am. In the Sea of Oman, high tides are expected at 8.52am and 10.51pm, while low tides will occur at 3.44pm and 4.40am.

The NCM noted that temperatures have dropped noticeably across the country, with weather conditions expected to be mild to cool during the daytime over the weekend and cold at night, particularly across internal areas.

As part of its continuous monitoring of the weather situation, the centre said UAE radar imagery showed the passage of the main wave of rainfall from Thursday night through Friday, bringing rainfall of varying intensity to most areas of the country. Several locations recorded significant rainfall amounts, including Al Ghaznah with 127mm, Mina Saqr with 123mm, Jebel Al Rahibah with 117.5mm, and Jebel Jais with 116.6mm.

The National Centre of Meteorology urged residents, motorists and mariners to exercise caution, adhere to safety measures and follow instructions issued by the relevant authorities, while keeping up to date with official weather bulletins as conditions continue to evolve.