UAE weather: public urged against swimming due to 'turbulent' waves

Waves as high as two or three metres expected

March 21, 2013 (Abu Dhabi) A life guard walks along the Saadiyat Public Beach as high winds kick up the surf in Abu Dhabi March 21, 2013. (Sammy Dallal / The National)
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Forecasters have warned the public against swimming in the Arabian Gulf sea until Monday due to extremely rough conditions.

The National Centre for Meteorology said the sea would be very turbulent with waves as high as two or three metres expected.

The choppy conditions are being caused by strong north-west winds between 15 and 30 km/h which will sometimes intensify, reaching up to 36 km/h over the coast.

Meanwhile temperatures are expected to fall slightly across the country as cloud coverage will increase later on Sunday, possibly leading to light rain.

The centre is calling for a chance of rain on Sunday night and early on Monday morning, especially over the islands and along the coast of the Northern Emirates.

Other regions will experience partly cloudy and hazy conditions.

Temperatures will reach a high of 25°C along the coast, 26°C in the interior and 17°C in the mountains.