Al Ain: Windy and unsettled weather is expected for the next couple of days with a widespread haze and dust cover in most parts of the country.
Forecasters have also been expecting some light rain on Wednesday in the northern emirates. Showers are likely Thursday night too in these areas. The weather will continue to be windy, hazy, and dusty at least for the next couple of days, according to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS).
Wind will made the sea moderately rough while humidity will increase in the western parts of the country. South-westerly winds have been kicking up dust and sand since Monday in much of the Arabian Peninsula. Widespread dust was reported at around mid-day around Al Maktoum International (Jebel Ali) Airport with wind blowing at a speed of 31km/h.
South-westerly winds, a forecaster said, are generally warmer that are capable of adding a few degrees in the average cool temperature of the month across the country. The maximum high temperature was 28C in the last several days, but it went up to 31C on Monday. This change is not unusual, he said.
The NCMS said January is a part of winter season in which temperatures are cold in general under the influence of Siberian high pressure that extend down to the region. It can change to warmer conditions and the climate record shows maximum air temperature climbing up to 36C in Asab area, south-west of Al Ain, in 1991. Similarly, the lowest recorded temperature was -1C in Raknah in 2008.
The region could also be affected by the passing troughs from over the Mediterranean Sea towards the Gulf region, with a Red Sea trough also having an influence on weather patterns. When these troughs associate with the upper air trough, weather becomes unstable, the NCMS said. This helps clouds to accumulate leading to scattered rain across the UAE. The highest accumulated rain fall amount recorded during January is 208.5 mm in 1969 in Kalba.
