• Traffic during the cloudy , dusty and windy weather in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Traffic during the cloudy , dusty and windy weather in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • View of the Jumeirah Lake Towers and Jumeirah Park during the cloudy , dusty and windy weather in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    View of the Jumeirah Lake Towers and Jumeirah Park during the cloudy , dusty and windy weather in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Standalone. People surf the waves on a blustery windy day in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Standalone. People surf the waves on a blustery windy day in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The skies will be hazy and partly cloudy at times as temperatures struggle to reach 20°C above on the coast. Chris Whiteoak /The National
    The skies will be hazy and partly cloudy at times as temperatures struggle to reach 20°C above on the coast. Chris Whiteoak /The National
  • Strong northwesterly winds, with gusts of up to 60kph over the sea and 30-40kph over land, will bring dust to the area Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Strong northwesterly winds, with gusts of up to 60kph over the sea and 30-40kph over land, will bring dust to the area Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Windy conditions will hang over the coast Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Windy conditions will hang over the coast Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Seas will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Seas will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Seas will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Seas will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Hazy in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Hazy in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Dusty conditions. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Dusty conditions. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Visibility is expected to be poor on UAE's roads. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Visibility is expected to be poor on UAE's roads. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Offroaders enjoy the cooler conditions. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Offroaders enjoy the cooler conditions. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A man checks his phone during a cool afternoon in Dubai Pawan Singh / The National
    A man checks his phone during a cool afternoon in Dubai Pawan Singh / The National
  • Overcast sky in Dubai at Dubai Canal. Leslie Pableo for The National
    Overcast sky in Dubai at Dubai Canal. Leslie Pableo for The National

Environment

UAE weather: Cold night on the coast as temperatures struggle to top 20°C

Roll out the heavy duty duvet tonight with lows of 12°C forecast

Gillian Duncan
Anam Rizvi

January 20, 2019

  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE's cold snap is expected to continue throughout the week as temperatures dipped to 12°C on the coast last night.

Following the coldest weekend of the winter, Dubai woke up to cloudy skies with a chilly breeze.

Dubai felt like 17C this morning while the actual temperature was 19C, while Abu Dhabi felt like 16C with the temperature at 18C.

Strong northwesterly winds, with gusts of up to 60kph over the sea and 30-40kph over land, will bring dust that will hang over some areas, causing poor visibility at times.

The sea will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf, making it dangerous to swim even close to the shore as lifeguards imposed no swim signs at many beaches across the UAE yesterday.

People surf the waves on a blustery day in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
People surf the waves on a blustery day in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

On Monday and throughout the rest of the week there will be a rise in humidity in the mornings, raising the risk of mist and fog, coupled with a drop in wind speed.

Temperatures will gradually increase over the week, reaching 27C again by Saturday.

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Read more:

Extreme weather in the UAE: Tales of sun, sand and even snow

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Elsewhere in the region, operations resumed at three ports in Kuwait that had been shut due to dusty conditions. However, temperatures are expected to remain low with highs of between 14 to 18°C.

It was a dusty end of the week in Kuwait City. AFP
It was a dusty end of the week in Kuwait City. AFP

Jordan and Iraq have also experienced bad weather due to a polar front, which brought heavy rain and snow.

In Cairo, skies turned orange due to a massive sandstorm.

  • Vehicles drive during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, January 16, 2019. AP Photo
    Vehicles drive during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, January 16, 2019. AP Photo
  • Vehicles drive during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt. AP Photo
    Vehicles drive during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt. AP Photo
  • Waste collectors ride a truck during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt. EPA
    Waste collectors ride a truck during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt. EPA
  • A man walks during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt, on January 16, 2019. EPA
    A man walks during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt, on January 16, 2019. EPA
  • A man walks during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt. EPA
    A man walks during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt. EPA
  • The sandstorm by the Nile river in Cairo. EPA
    The sandstorm by the Nile river in Cairo. EPA
  • Egyptians cover their faces as they walk during a sandstorm in Cairo. EPA
    Egyptians cover their faces as they walk during a sandstorm in Cairo. EPA
  • A man covers his face during a sandstorm near the River Nile in Cairo. Reuters
    A man covers his face during a sandstorm near the River Nile in Cairo. Reuters
  • A man covering his face walks on the pavement during a sandstorm in Cairo. Reuters
    A man covering his face walks on the pavement during a sandstorm in Cairo. Reuters
  • Women cover their face near the River Nile during a sandstorm in Cairo. Reuters
    Women cover their face near the River Nile during a sandstorm in Cairo. Reuters
  • A man covers his face during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt. Reuters
    A man covers his face during a sandstorm in Cairo, Egypt. Reuters
  • A man walks during a sandstorm in Cairo. EPA
    A man walks during a sandstorm in Cairo. EPA
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