UAE: Foggy days ahead; temperatures to dip as summer 'draws to a close'

This comes after heavy rainfall was experienced in certain parts of the country on Monday

by

Nandini Sircar

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File Photo. Image used for illustrative purpose
File Photo. Image used for illustrative purpose

Published: Wed 28 Aug 2024, 6:00 AM

Last updated: Wed 28 Aug 2024, 8:47 PM

Residents in the UAE must prepare for a few foggy days ahead, particularly when driving on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi road.

According to an expert from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), people should be careful while driving, especially when the country’s weather department issues fog alerts.


Unstable weather conditions and heavy rains had been pounding the country's mountainous regions over the past few days with heavy rain and some hail in Wadi Hilo, Sharjah, on Monday.

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In an interview with Khaleej Times on Tuesday, Dr Ahmed Habib, a climate expert from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said: “We are expecting fog formation over the next few days between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and also between Abu Dhabi and certain Western areas. People must watch for the alerts and drive cautiously in such situations.”

“We are currently experiencing high pressure and unstable conditions, leading to elevated humidity levels. This also means it will be particularly humid at night and in the early morning, with fog likely to form during the morning hours.”

Additionally, on Monday, the Kalba Shokah Road in the Eastern Region of the UAE witnessed moderate rainfall while light rain fell in areas around Shawka-Al Muinai Road at Ras Al Kaimah.

The weather department recently also issued an orange alert due to the formation of convective clouds, which may bring rainfall and occasional strong winds, leading to blowing dust.

“Due to the high humidity in the air, it still feels extremely hot. Although the temperature is around 45-46 degrees Celsius, the intense humidity makes people feel even hotter,” he added.

Factors influencing the conditions

Shedding light on the reasons as to why is it partly cloudy at times with several regions of the country experiencing rainfall of different intensity, Habib added,

“Rainfall in the UAE, especially in Fujairah and the eastern regions is typical for this time of year. This is due to the ongoing influence of a low-pressure system extending from the East Indian monsoon.”

“Moreover, the mountains in the eastern part of the UAE drive humidity from the Arabian Sea or Oman Sea toward our region, leading to the formation of convective clouds over the mountains, which results in rainfall, particularly during the day.”

When will summer end?

Meanwhile, the veteran weatherman indicated that as we transition from the vibrant days of summer to the cooler embrace of autumn, a shift in the weather is upon us.

“We’re now entering the end of August and the beginning of September, so temperatures will progressively start dropping, particularly during the night and early mornings. This trend will continue over the coming weeks as summer draws to a close.”

“Summer will end on September 23; that’s when the transition period begins and Autumn season starts,” he added.

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