Dubai: Hold on, UAE! It’s not yet time to store those umbrellas away – the Met office has issued a rain alert for Sunday, February 25 and Monday, February 26. Get ready for another round of cloudy skies and wet weather in the country.
Dr Ahmed Habib, a senior meteorologist at the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology (NCM) told Gulf News that northern and eastern parts of the UAE will see cloudy weather and rainfall of different intensities on both days.
It won’t be a heavy downpour as previously seen on February 12, Dr Habib confirmed.
Light to moderate rain is expected in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and parts of Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah. And, heavy rainfall is expected in Fujairah, he explained.
According to the NCM specialist: "On Sunday and Monday, the country will be affected by a surface low-pressure system extending from the Southwest, accompanied by an extension of an upper air depression in the atmosphere . Along with this there will be a westerly trough with different amounts of clouds flowing from the West at different intervals."
According to the NCM alert issued on Thursday, February 22, weather on Sunday and Monday, will be partly cloudy to cloudy at times with a chance of light to moderate rainfall, might be heavy at times over some Northern, Eastern, and coastal areas.
Clouds are expected to increase by Sunday evening, Dr Habib said.
He added that residents living in mountainous regions should exercise caution when stepping out, especially in flood-prone wadis or valleys.
Will there be cloud seeding?
According to Dr Habib, cloud seeding will be conducted if "seedable" clouds are noticed by the NCM's cloud seeding division.
The cloud seeding division regularly monitors convective clouds, which are formed due to an increase in the surface temperature. They rise upwards and look similar to cotton balls piled on top of one another. These type of clouds are most conducive to successful cloud seeding.
Depending on the amount of moisture or rain these clouds carry, the NCM dispatches cloud seeding flights, in order to maximise rainfall over the country.
Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday
Will there be a decrease in temperatures during this period? While, technically, the forecast mentions a dip in temperatures, but the difference will not be significant.
Explaining the reason for this, Dr Habib said that temperatures on Saturday are expected to rise across the country. This will be followed by a dip on Sunday and Monday. "Northwesterly winds blowing over the country will bring in cold air, causing temperatures to dip, especially in the western parts of the country (mainly Abu Dhabi)," he explained.
According to the weather forecast, winds, especially in areas where clouds develop, will cause dust and sandstorms at times.
Slight to moderate, rough at times in the Arabian Gulf and in the Oman Sea.
