DUBAI // Sandstorms swept across the country on Friday, with winds whipping up dust, reducing visibility and pushing up temperatures.
Rainfall is expected in some areas across the Emirates on Saturday and Sunday and this could bring with it a sharp drop in temperatures, the National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) said.
A marine warning has also been issued, advising fishermen not to venture out to sea due to rough seas in the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea.
“Southerly winds with 60kph speed and waves 8ft high over some areas of Arabian Gulf,” said the centre’s forecast.
Fresh and strong southerly winds blew dust and sand and reduced visibility to 700 metres at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, the weather centre said, adding that visibility was down to 1,000 metres at Al Hamra, in Ras Al Khaimah.
Temperatures in coastal areas could rise to 36˚C and 39˚C inland on Friday and Saturday before the rain showers cool areas considerably, forecasters said.
The hazy, dusty weather on Friday was set to continue through to Saturday, blowing sand and hampering visibility.
Cloud cover is set to increase in coastal and northern areas, with “a significant fall in temperatures” following the rainfall, the NCMS said.
“Fresh to strong north-westerly winds, especially over the sea, will cause blowing dust and sand and reduce horizontal visibility with another fall in temperature,” according to the forecast for Sunday.
Rainfall was predicted on Sunday, too, with the marine warning extending throughout the weekend due to choppy seas.
The lowest temperature recorded on Friday morning was 16.6˚C at Jebel Jais mountain in RAK at 7am.
Dusty weather conditions followed by rainfall were also predicted by ArabiaWeather, a private forecaster for the region.
“It is expected that the dust will cause low visibility, perhaps non-existent in some areas, as the sea is disturbed and so considered dangerous,” the ArabiaWeather forecast said.
“There is risk of complications to the eyes and for respiratory patients because of the expected dust in the atmosphere.”
rtalwar@thenational.ae
