Drivers along Thokka Road in the UAE’s east contended with heavy downpours on Wednesday evening, footage of which was circulated online by the UAE Storm Centre as bands of convective cloud moved over the country. The rain marked one of the first visible accumulations along the eastern coastline that afternoon.
The downpours followed a warning issued earlier in the day by the National Centre of Meteorology. At 3:40pm on Wednesday, 24 June, the NCM flagged a likelihood of convective clouds bringing rainfall ranging from light to moderate, and occasionally heavy, over portions of the east. Forecasters set the alert to run from 2:00 to 7:30pm and shaded the affected eastern zones orange on their hazard map, a classification denoting expected hazardous conditions and a call for residents to heed official guidance.
Alongside the alert, the NCM directed a safety advisory at motorists. Drivers were told to take to the roads only when necessary, keep their headlights on where visibility dropped, and stay attentive to others sharing the road. The centre further asked the public to rely on official channels for updates and to refrain from spreading unverified claims online.
Conditions on Wednesday morning had already pointed toward instability. The day’s coolest reading nationwide was 24°C, logged at 5:45am at Bada Dafas in the Al Dhafra Region.
The unsettled pattern is expected to persist. The NCM’s outlook for Thursday, 25 June, points to fair to partly cloudy skies and a chance of convective cloud building in the afternoon over eastern and southern districts. Winds, initially light to moderate southeasterly, are forecast to swing northwesterly and pick up over western areas, lifting dust that could sharply cut road visibility. Speeds were put at 10 to 25 km/h, gusting as high as 40 km/h.
Offshore on Thursday, the Arabian Gulf is expected to run slight to moderate but rough at times in the west, while the Oman Sea sees comparable swells with rougher stretches possible. Those heading out to sea were advised to check the latest maritime bulletins first.
By Friday, 26 June, the convective activity is set to ease somewhat, though low clouds will build along the eastern coast and temperatures should dip from their midweek peak. Humidity is forecast to climb into Friday night and Saturday morning, bringing mist to coastal and inland areas, while western parts again face the prospect of blowing dust and gusts near 40 km/h.
Forecasters singled out Thursday afternoon as the period of greatest concern, urging anyone in low-lying or flood-prone locations to stay alert when convective activity is expected to peak.
