Residents across the UAE should expect a stretch of changeable and at times disruptive weather running from this weekend through next Thursday, according to a forecast released Friday by the National Centre of Meteorology.
Conditions will begin deteriorating Saturday night into Sunday, when increased cloud cover and the possibility of light rain are expected to affect the islands and parts of the northern emirates.
A brief drier interlude follows early in the week. Monday through Wednesday afternoon will bring clearer skies, though active to strong northwesterly winds will kick up blowing dust, reduce visibility, and push sea conditions to rough or very rough at times — alongside a noticeable dip in temperatures.
The reprieve will be short-lived. From Wednesday night through Friday morning, another spell of instability is forecast to move in, bringing partly to heavily cloudy skies and the chance of light to moderate rain falling intermittently over scattered parts of the country.
The NCM placed the unsettled stretch within the broader context of April’s character as a transitional month. The weakening of the Siberian high-pressure system leaves the region more exposed to low-pressure extensions tracking from west to east — including Red Sea trough activity and systems approaching from the east. When those depressions deepen, cloud build-up and rainfall become more likely over some areas.
April also brings steadily warming temperatures as the sun tracks northward toward the Tropic of Cancer. Mean temperatures this month are projected to run 3 to 5°C higher than March levels, with the historical April average sitting between 25°C and 30°C. Maximum averages range from 32°C to 37°C. The all-time April high for the UAE was 46.9°C, recorded at Al Ruwais in 2012.
Humidity is expected to ease slightly compared to March, particularly in the second half of the month, though fog and mist remain possible — especially during the first two weeks of April.
The wettest April on record saw 260.3 mm of rainfall logged at Khatam Al Shaklah in Al Ain in 2024.
