UAE weather: Rain due but heat will continue

Mountain areas could see some rain, while rest of the UAE will experience more hot weather.

DUBAI // Rain is expected today and in the coming days - although temperatures are not expected to dip below the highs recorded in the past few weeks.

The National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) said rain clouds were expected over the mountains to the east of the country, bringing with them the chance of showers.

At the weekend, Masafi, in the east of the country, was battered by high winds and rain.

Light rain was also seen over Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning, offering some respite from temperatures that soared as high as 48°C further inland.

It is unlikely that temperatures will drop in the coming days, according to a forecaster at NCMS.

"It's the summer time, so the temperatures will stay mostly the same," he said. "It will be hot and, sometimes, very hot."

The temperature in coastal areas has been relatively cooler - between 44°C and 46°C. These averages are expected to hold over the next few days.

This year has been particularly hot and, on July 20, meteorologists recorded temperatures of 50.4°C in Sweihan, near Al Ain.

"It was only for a few minutes, and in a deserted area," said the forecaster.

But it was the highest temperature recorded in the country since July 2002, when the mercury rose to 51°C in the east of the country.