ABU DHABI // It's that time of year again, when residents - and unfortunate holidaymakers - dust off their umbrellas and dig out their raincoats.
Yesterday's scattered rain showers were the precursor to more wet weather this week, according to the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology, and could signal that winter is finally upon us.
The centre said that yesterday's cloudy weather will continue over the next two days with a chance of scattered showers over western coastal area.
Although rain typically brings clearer skies, moderate winds will blow in dust from open areas, limiting visibility. Seas will be moderate, with waves reaching 6ft, it added. Daytime temperatures fell to between 28°C and 30°C along the coast, 31°C and 35°C inland and 16 and 24°C in mountainous areas.
Temperatures tend to fall sharply in November, with mean temperatures typically between 30°C and 31°C, while it is also common for the first shamals to affect the country later in the month. However, it is not usually until December that unsettled weather reaches the region, according to Dubai Meteorological Services.
November 1997 was an exception with 12 rain days, according to Dubai Meteorological Services figures.
Hussein Ahmed al Harithi, director of the Department of Traffic and Patrols at Abu Dhabi Police, urged motorists to drive carefully.
