UAE weather: Cooler spell ahead with a chance of rain

Temperatures will be below 30°C and dusty conditions are expected by midweek

Dark rain clouds over Dubai in January. Pawan Singh / The National

Rain is expected along the western region of the UAE on Monday as a cool period continues in the coming week.

A three-day report by the National Centre of Meteorology has forecast a cloudy start to the week, with sunny spells giving way to rain in western and inland areas.

Daytime temperatures will peak at about 28°C in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, while it will be slightly warmer in Al Ain and along the east coast.

Fresh winds on Monday and into Tuesday will keep the weather cool, with more chance of scattered showers later in the week.

Light rainfall is expected in northern regions on Tuesday and into Wednesday, as winds from the north and east keep up the cooler temperatures.

Dust is likely to become more of a problem inland as winds gust up to 45 kilometres an hour, creating driving hazards in some parts of the country by midweek.

Cloud seeding in the UAE — in pictures

Hygroscopic (water-attracting) salt flares are attached to an aircraft at Al Ain International Airport before a cloud-seeding flight operated by the National Centre of Meteorology. The UAE has been leading the effort to seed clouds and increase precipitation, which remains at less than 100 millimetres a year on average. All photos by Reuters

Pilot Michael Anstis writes a weather report before the cloud-seeding flight from Al Ain.

An airport employee closes an aircraft door, with hygroscopic salt flares seen in the background, before the cloud-seeding flight.

Pilots Michael Anstis and Ahmed Al Jaberi receive instructions before the flight.

The control room at the National Centre of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi.

An explanatory hologram of the cloud-seeding process in the National Centre of Meteorology control room in Abu Dhabi.

Cloud-seeding flares in the National Centre of Meteorology control room.

Hygroscopic salt flares are attached to an aircraft during a cloud-seeding flight between Al Ain and Al Hayer. At 9,000 feet above sea level, the plane releases the flares into the most promising white clouds, hoping to trigger rainfall.

Hygroscopic salt flares are attached to an aircraft during a cloud-seeding flight. Scientists in Abu Dhabi combine shooting the flares with releasing salt nanoparticles, a newer technology, into the clouds to stimulate and accelerate the condensation process and hopefully produce droplets big enough to then fall as rain.

Flares are released during a cloud-seeding flight between Al Ain and Al Hayer.

Employees walk towards a hangar at Al Ain International Airport after a cloud-seeding flight.