Al Ain: Residents of the northern emirates on Thursday experienced a surprise change in the weather, with light to moderate rain and mildly wintery conditions in some areas.
Thick clouds converged over Ras Al Khaimah and the surrounding areas. Later rain was experienced in some parts of the emirate. There had been no rain forecast, but partly cloudy conditions had been predicted by the national weather bureau.
Syed Hasnain, an expatriate living in Ras Al Khaimah, said the sky was covered in thick black clouds around midday, but there had been no rain in the cities, only mountainous areas.
A weather forecaster explained that the clouds over the northern emirates were the result of rain in Iran which had spread to the Arabian Gulf. “We expect a slight fall in temperature in the northern and coastal areas with partly cloudy conditions,” he said.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), weather will be partly cloudy in some areas, particularly in the northern emirates with some low clouds over mountains regions at the weekend. The forecast, however, mentioned nothing about the possibility of rain anywhere in the country.
Winds are expected to be light to moderately rough in general and may cause dust and sand storms during the day. Conditions will be relatively humid at night with increased humidity in coastal areas, which could generate mist or fog late at night and early in the morning. The sea is expected to be moderately rough in general.
Similarly cloudy and humid conditions are expected on Friday and Saturday.
Cool, pleasant weather, mostly at night, is predicted in the desert areas over the weekend, but drivers have been warned to be alert on highways as conditions may be foggy.
Yesterday the temperature was between 21 and 35 degree Celsius in coastal areas, 18 to 38 degrees Celsius in the interior areas and 15 to 26 degrees Celsius in mountainous areas.
