Rain has fallen across the UAE on Friday, with Al Ain facing heavy showers and wet weather expected in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.
Storm Centre, a social media account that tracks weather in the Emirates, shared footage of heavy rain in Al Ain on Friday afternoon.
Storm Centre also published a video of drivers navigating rain near Al Maktoum International Airport on Thursday evening.Wet weather is expected on Saturday and Sunday, said the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).
The NCM urged the public to avoid driving “unless absolutely necessary” and to exercise caution during wet weather. The weather bureau, in a notice shared on X, said motorists should use low-beam headlights when visibility is reduced.
A yellow weather warning, urging people to take care if they go outside, was issued for Al Ain region on Friday. It is to remain in place until 8pm on Friday.
The pockets of wet weather is a stark contrast to the rest of the UAE, which is experiencing high temperatures.
The highest temperature in Abu Dhabi on Friday, according to the NCM, is expected to be around 44°C, the highest in the country, with Dubai peaking at 43°C.
Why does it always rain in Al Ain?
Rain, particularly in the eastern parts of the UAE, such as Al Ain, is caused by a low-pressure system from the south-east bringing moisture-laden air from the Arabian Sea, a meteorologist from the NCM told The National.
He said these systems then meet the mountains on the UAE’s east coast, the air rises, meets a relatively cooler layer above and this can then lead to the formation of convective clouds and, potentially, rain.
“Moisture from the Arabian Sea is coming to our area,” the NCM forecaster said. “This air mass comes from the sea to the mountains. The mountains then block the air.” These systems are common during the summer months.
