Dubai: Dust covered parts of Dubai and scattered rainfall along with thunder was reported in many areas on Saturday afternoon.
Moderate to heavy rain along with strong winds were reported on Emirates Road, Dubai’s Al Marmoom area, Deira, Al Qudra, and Al Barari. Showers were also reported in Sharjah and Al Ain’s Al Hiyar and Al Shiwayb region.
Sharjah Police shared an alert asking residents to take caution while driving and follow the guidelines issued by competent authorities. Abu Dhabi Police shared a warned for motorists due to the rainy conditions as well.
A statement the NCM released said that there is “a chance of convective clouds formation associated with rainfall with different intensities, which may be associated with lightning and thunder at times over some eastern areas, Al Ain and south of Al Ain, and extending over some internal areas.”
According to the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), skies across the UAE are expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy. The NCM issued yellow and orange alerts till 8pm, on Saturday, due to the cloud activity in Dubai and Al Ain.
According to the NCM, these conditions are expected until August 8.
"Convective clouds developed this afternoon in the eastern and internal part of the UAE and moved towards the coastal areas, such as Dubai and Sharjah. Convective clouds have a strong air trough so we experienced strong winds and dusty conditions," an NCM official told Gulf News.
"The rain and cloudy conditions are expected to decrease starting from early evening," he said.
Speaking about the impact on temperatures, the official said: "There is no significant change in temperatures, most of the UAE is between 45 to 48°C."
Explaining the reason for the sudden dusty weather in Dubai, the NCM official added: "The clouds [we are currently experiencing] have a strong down draught and it’s causing blowing dust and sand. When the clouds go, this will go too. The dust is not suspended in the air. This dust is only related to the clouds.
“Suspension in the air happens, for example, when the dust comes from the north of the UAE, from an area which has very tiny dust particles. It covers a very large area at a time and stays for longer. Currently, the dust is caused by the clouds, affecting only small areas at a time," he added.
Strong to moderate winds are expected with a speed of 10 –25 km/h, reaching up to 55 km/h at times. The conditions at sea are expected to be relatively calm.
