More showers may fall across the UAE over the next few days after the deluge of last Thursday and Friday, with a wet Christmas possible in some areas.
In its five-day bulletin published on Wednesday, the National Centre of Meteorology cautioned that there was a chance of rain every day until Sunday.
It warned that the islands and Northern Emirates were most likely to be affected with potentially heavy rain at times over the north.
The festive period – from December 25 to 29 – will bring cooler temperatures at night, due to the passage of a weak extension of a low-pressure system.
The forecast follows the rains that hammered the country last week. Ras Al Khaimah bore the brunt of the unstable weather with 127mm of rain noted in the Al Ghaznah area of the emirate over the two days – an amount that typically exceeds the UAE’s average annual rainfall.
However, the effects were felt across the UAE, with roads flooded, bus services cut and major delays at airports, although the Northern Emirates were more affected.
Jason Nicholls, AccuWeather lead international forecaster, said the northern UAE can get more rain than the far south for two reasons.
“The area from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah is along the coast, with the area farthest north being a peninsula surrounded by the Arabian Gulf on three sides. This provides a moisture source that is lacking in the desert areas farther south,” Mr Nicholls told The National.
“The mountains also help with the lifting of moist air, resulting in heavier rainfall.”
Clearing the air
Another consequence of the deluge was the immediate improvement in air quality.
“There was a notable improvement in air quality around the time of the rain and storm,” said Mr Nicholls.
“The rain and wind helped clear particulates from the air. There was some worsening of the air quality in recent days as the flow became more stagnant following the storm.”
He said the air quality went from unhealthy to moderate during and right after the storm. Some areas north of Dubai went from moderate to good after the storm.
Last month, Dubai was named among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world by air purifier company IQAir. The culprit was a huge dust storm originating in Iran.
As of Wednesday, Dubai was ranked 46th in the list with a ranking of 73 which falls into the moderate category. While dust storms can lead to poor air quality, pollution levels in the UAE have been improving.
As reported in The National earlier this year, this is down to more renewable energy and tougher air quality controls.
The UAE, meanwhile, is now firmly in the grip of winter weather. The lowest temperature recorded over the country on Wednesday was 7°C in the Raknah area of Al Ain in Abu Dhabi emirate at 6:45am. Raknah in Al Ain regularly experiences colder conditions and, in January 2021, temperatures there fell below minus 5°.
According to the NCM, the Siberian high-pressure system is typically dominant during this time as it extends to the Gulf and is accompanied by north-westerly winds or north-easterly winds.
The NCM said this leads to the influx of cold air causing that notable drop in the mercury – particularly at night and in the early morning.
“Temperatures may drop below zero in some inland and mountainous areas,” it said.
The UAE can also be affected by low-pressure systems from the Red Sea and Mediterranean and those from the east that can bring rain.
According to the NCM, the lowest December temperature on record was -0.7C in 2004 at Jebel Jais.
The highest frequency of fog was in 2014 with 20 days of fog and five days of mist.
The highest December rain total was 208.4mm in the Dhudna region of Fujairah in 2006.
While it is not clear if temperatures will sink below freezing over the next few days or realise any hopes of a white Christmas, there is still a chance for more downpours not just in parts of the UAE over the next few days but also longer term.
“The weather pattern looks quiet over the next couple of weeks,” said Mr Nicholls
“There will likely be additional rain chances this winter but we may have to wait until the second of January for the next round.”
