UAE weekend forecast brings humidity and fog before rainfall expected Monday and Tuesday

UAE weekend forecast brings humidity and fog before rainfall expected Monday and Tuesday

The UAE will experience a humid weekend with possible fog formation before rainfall chances increase early next week, according to the National Centre of Meteorology, the country's primary weather authority operating under the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

Friday's weather will remain fair to partly cloudy, with cloud development expected over eastern parts of the country during afternoon hours. Some of these clouds may become convective, bringing a slight drop in temperatures. Coastal areas and islands will see daytime highs between 36°C and 40°C, while inland regions could experience temperatures climbing to 39°C to 42°C. These temperatures fall well within October's historical range, considerably below the month's record high of 46.3°C recorded in Mezaira'a in 2017.

Mountain areas will remain cooler, with maximum temperatures ranging from 28°C to 36°C. Light to moderate winds, generally southeasterly to northeasterly at 10 to 20km/h and reaching 30km/h at times, will maintain slight sea conditions in both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea.

Fog returns as humidity climbs

Humidity will increase significantly overnight and into Saturday morning across coastal and inland areas, creating favorable conditions for fog or mist formation, particularly in western parts of the country. Maximum relative humidity could reach 90 per cent along the coast and islands, 85 per cent inland and 80 per cent in mountain areas.

Moisture from the Arabian Gulf, combined with clear skies, light winds and falling overnight temperatures, creates conditions for high humidity and fog formation as air near the ground cools and moves closer to saturation. October is historically a peak month for fog in the UAE, with 2017 recording the highest frequency in recent years at 22 days of fog and another five days of light fog.

Motorists are advised to slow down to 40-50 km/h during foggy conditions, use low-beam headlights, maintain safe distances between vehicles, and avoid using hazard lights while the vehicle is moving.

Saturday will remain fair to partly cloudy, with clouds expected to develop over eastern and southern areas during the afternoon and potentially become convective. Humidity will return overnight and into Sunday morning, again bringing a chance of fog or mist in some coastal and inland areas, especially towards the west.

Rainfall chances increase from Monday

A more noticeable change is forecast from Monday, when convective clouds could form over eastern areas and extend into some inland parts of the country during afternoon hours. Rising temperatures and the influence of mountains in eastern UAE create conditions for cloud development, particularly during afternoon hours, with a strong chance of rainfall once these clouds form.

Winds may also strengthen considerably around cloud activity, reaching 45km/h at times and potentially stirring up blowing dust. On Tuesday, convective clouds are again forecast over eastern and southern areas and may be associated with rainfall, while winds could reach 40km/h around cloud formations.

October's average rainfall in the UAE stands at 5.2 millimeters, though the month has seen significant variation, with the heaviest October rainfall on record being 139mm recorded in Al Shuwaib in 2016.

The NCM, which operates a 24-hour weather watch and continuous monitoring system, said the country is currently affected by a weak surface pressure system accompanied by an extension of a weak upper-air low-pressure system, helping to support the changing cloud conditions expected over the coming days.

Despite the changing conditions, seas are expected to remain generally slight in the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea through the forecast period.