Latest: Rain in Dubai and sandstorms in Abu Dhabi as wild January weather continues
Rain is set to return to the UAE this week as temperatures cool off to just 20C in Dubai on Sunday.
It will feel even chillier in the Northern Emirates where heavier rainfall is most likely and temperatures of just 10C are forecast over higher ground, according to the latest National Centre of Meteorology report.
Abu Dhabi is also likely to see some rainfall, although it will be slightly warmer with a peak of 23C expected.
Fresh winds from the northwest will increase the risk of blowing dust and sand across the country on Sunday as gusts hit 40 kilometres an hour, particularly in open areas creating potentially hazardous driving conditions.
Fujairah and towns along the east coast are also in for a cool day with the chance of rain.
It will warm up slightly on Monday, although most areas are predicted to experience plenty of cloud cover and leaden skies.
Daytime temperatures will climb to about 25C in the capital and Dubai while it should be a dry day for all but those in the north where more showers are likely.
Although wind speeds are likely to drop significantly through the week bringing calmer waters to the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea, humidity returns on Tuesday and with it the chance of early morning fog.
Abu Dhabi is gradually returning to normal after six days of unprecedented rainfall that caused widespread disruption across the emirate earlier in January.
More than 4,000 government workers from Tadweer were deployed across Abu Dhabi in one of the nation’s largest clean-up operations in recent years.
Waste management teams removed close to 3,000 tonnes of green and bulky waste from drains and run-off areas to ensure a repeat of widespread flooding is avoided if heavy rains return.
“Their efforts have been crucial in returning the affected areas back to normality within a record time despite the severity of the storm,” said Dr Salem Al Kaabi, Tadweer’s general manager.
