Oman and parts of the UAE under cloud cover

Tropical clouds from the Arabian Sea Monsoon, extending from India, have sent waves of tropical clouds and moisture over Oman and parts of UAE, mainly southeast areas. With abundant heat and moisture, thunderstorms have erupted over Hajar mountains on [...]]]>

Al Ain during the storm (Image Source: Storm.ae)

Oman and parts of the UAE under cloud cover

Tropical clouds from the Arabian Sea Monsoon, extending from India, have sent waves of tropical clouds and moisture over Oman and parts of UAE, mainly southeast areas. With abundant heat and moisture, thunderstorms have erupted over Hajar mountains on July 8th, east and southeast of Al-Ain, then moved westward and hit Al-Ain with high winds, hail, and heavy rain. Winds gusted up to 114 Km/hr! Temperature decreased to 29c or less during the storm

The rainy clouds are covering a widespread area of southeast UAE near Oman border. The situation is expected to remain more or less the same until Saturday July 10th.

Rain Radar showing areas of rain over SE UAE

Mukhariz, a town in South Western UAE in the empty quarter recorded 55.2c degrees few days back. According to Gulfnews, “A staggering high maximum temperature was recorded in Mukhariz, near Saudi Arabian border, in the Western region of the country. The NCMS report said it was 55.2 degree Celsius. The area also suffered from dust storm [...]]]>

Mukhariz, a town in South Western UAE in the empty quarter recorded 55.2c degrees few days back. According to Gulfnews, “A staggering high maximum temperature was recorded in Mukhariz, near Saudi Arabian border, in the Western region of the country. The NCMS report said it was 55.2 degree Celsius. The area also suffered from dust storm in the afternoon.”

It seems there will be no respite from this burning summer as the UAE might be getting more extreme heat as we head into middle of July. The period after July 10th might bring near 50c in the open desert (interior areas).

The Gulf region is suffering from exceesive heat. In Kuwait, burning highs of 50 and 51c have been recorded from June 14 to 16, after several days of temperatures in late 40s. Saudi Arabia has also been experiencing high temperatures especially Riyadh, Al Ahsa, and Dammam where daily highs of 45-49 have been recorded. In fact, [...]]]>

The Gulf region is suffering from exceesive heat. In Kuwait, burning highs of 50 and 51c have been recorded from June 14 to 16, after several days of temperatures in late 40s. Saudi Arabia has also been experiencing high temperatures especially Riyadh, Al Ahsa, and Dammam where daily highs of 45-49 have been recorded. In fact, the same situation is accross the whole gulf region including Qatar and the UAE as well.

Rumours of temperatures reaching 60c are not true as the highest recorded temperature in the world is 57c in the Libyan desert.

Extremely hot temperatures have been recorded in the UAE over the last few days. Hot winds coming from the empty quarter desert helped increase the temperature beyond normal averages to very uncomfortable levels. If there [...]]]>

Rumours of temperatures reaching 60c are not true as the highest recorded temperature in the world is 57c in the Libyan desert.

Extremely hot temperatures have been recorded in the UAE over the last few days. Hot winds coming from the empty quarter desert helped increase the temperature beyond normal averages to very uncomfortable levels. If there is one good thing about those desert winds is that humidity levels have decreased, making night-time weather a little bit more bearable.

The interior region of the UAE has seen the highest temperatures in the UAE over the last few days. Sweihan (a town close to Al-Ain) recorded 49.7c. Al-Ain has also been suffering from hot weather with temperatures reaching as high as 48c. Generally, temperatures between 45-49c have been observed in various parts of the UAE including Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Fujairah is recording lower temperatures, but with higher humidity levels, making the weather very sticky and intolerable, too.

At the same time, its cold front will extend to parts of the Arabian Peninsula, bringing the risk of thundershowers to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and especially Saudi Arabia [...]]]> An upper-air low is tracking eastward over Iraq and Iran, causing rainshowers and thunderstorms over many areas in the Middeteranian countries, Iraq, and Iran during the next 48 hours.

At the same time, its cold front will extend to parts of the Arabian Peninsula, bringing the risk of thundershowers to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and especially Saudi Arabia near the shores of the Arabian Gulf. By Sunday, the weak cold front arrives to the eastern gulf near the UAE, bringing in scattered clouds and a small chance of thundershowers. Before the arrival of the cold front, it will be very hot in the UAE.

Once again on Tuesday and Wednesday, an upper air trough could result in some thunderstorms in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, possibly Kuwait, and the UAE. Afterthat, there is the potential for high winds and cooler air.

An upper low bringing widespread rain to some parts of SW Asia

Winter is really gone I guess, but it didn’t depart before sending more rain & storm clouds. The photo above best explains how mother nature can deliver wild changing weather, and definetely chaging seasons as well. While Spring has started in the UAE, [...]]]>

Rain and storm clouds deprating Dubai, UAE on Mar 2nd, 2010 (from GulfNews.com)

Winter is really gone I guess, but it didn’t depart before sending more rain & storm clouds. The photo above best explains how mother nature can deliver wild changing weather, and definetely chaging seasons as well. While Spring has started in the UAE, the window of rain continues until early April. But with increasing temperature, winter has become shorter in the UAE. Considering that past average high in March is 25c in Dubai, we are now recording average highs of around 30c or more in March over the last few years.

What to expect next: increasing temperature with a small chance of low pressure systems making a comeback during Spring. In 2009, storms and heavy rain affected the UAE between Mar 25 and Apr 10th. I hope history repeats itself.

How do I rate this winter?! It has certainly been one of the warmest winters I have experienced in the UAE. But there were several rain events that saved this winter from being a bad one I guess.

What do you think about this winter?!

An upper low is currently over the middeteranian countries which brought rain showers and thunderstorms there including some heavy showers to Egypt. There are also rain and thunderstorms over parts of Iraq, Iran, NW Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Currently hot weather with southerly winds are affecting the UAE & Oman. It [...]]]>

Surface lows and fronts on Fri Feb 26 2010

An upper low is currently over the middeteranian countries which brought rain showers and thunderstorms there including some heavy showers to Egypt. There are also rain and thunderstorms over parts of Iraq, Iran, NW Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Currently hot weather with southerly winds are affecting the UAE & Oman. It feels like summer here in the UAE with temperatures hovering in mid 30s. Right now the cold front (blue) is unable to cause any rain/thunderstorms formation due to interaction with dry air. On Saturday/Sunday it will result in thunderstorms and rain showers over many parts of the UAE (especially north) and northern Oman (Slight chance of rain in Bahrain and Qatar). Some thunderstorms could be strong. Rainfall amounts could be anywhere between 1 to 25 mm.  

Spring starts on March 1st, 2010 with a collision between summer and winter with heavy rain and thunderstorms in the UAE.

Saturday to bring showers and thunderstorms to the UAE and then northen Oman on Sunday.

Late Monday to Tuesday there is risk of very heavy rain and strong thunderstorms in parts of the UAE and Oman.

Feb 24, 2010 Update:

It seems that there will be 2 waves of rain affecting the region. The first one being [...]]]> Feb 26, 2010 Update:

Saturday to bring showers and thunderstorms to the UAE and then northen Oman on Sunday.

Late Monday to Tuesday there is risk of very heavy rain and strong thunderstorms in parts of the UAE and Oman.

Feb 24, 2010 Update:

It seems that there will be 2 waves of rain affecting the region. The first one being on Saturday with impact on the UAE. There will be possibly some scattered showers and a few thunderstorms on parts of the UAE along the Arabian Gulf. Then the impact might move to eastern UAE and Oman early Sunday.

The 2nd wave of rain could contain heavy thunderstorms forming on Monday till Tuesday. Some models predicitng it to hit the UAE and others show Oman as a target. Some models predict the storms to be exceptionally heavy with lots of rain.

Friday could be hot with temperaturs raching 35 with the possibility of a sandstorm. 

In all cases UAE and Oman should keep an eye on the developing weather.

Saturday Feb 27 2010 500mb upper air heights. Tight contours around the UAE.

Tuesday Mar 2nd, 2010 500mb upper air heights. The upper low gets closer to the UAE and Oman

Feb 21, 2010 Update

This post is going to be continuously updated and it is about the possibility of a spring low pressure system that could impact various parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

I’m must emphasize that I’m more than 50% confident of thunderstorm and rain formation somewhere over thr Arabian Gulf sometime between Feb 27 and March 2nd. However, I’m less than 40% sure of the impact on the UAE. The weather models are not agreeing on a certain scenario so far!

We shall wait and see.

Expect very warm weather on Friday Feb 26, as a developing low forces winds to blow from the south, before the potential arrival of an active cold front!

The weather will take on a warming trend during the next several days across the Arabian Peninsula with above average temperatures.

RAK Wadis flooded Feb 6 2010 (image source: GulfNews)

The cold front that has swept through the UAE and Oman generated a widespread cloud cover with showers in some parts of the UAE. However, in northern UAE especially in Ras Al Khaymah heavy thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flooded the wadis there, [...]]]>

RAK Wadis flooded Feb 6 2010 (image source: GulfNews)

The cold front that has swept through the UAE and Oman generated a widespread cloud cover with showers in some parts of the UAE. However, in northern UAE especially in Ras Al Khaymah heavy thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flooded the wadis there, resulting in 2 casualities and forcing the authorities to rescue more than 300 people stranded in RAK Wadis. Rainfall amounts exceeded 60mm in some parts of RAK.

Clouds hugging UAE mountains Feb 6 2010 (image source: GulfNews)

IR Satellite image at 18:30 GMT on Feb 5th, 2010 as clouds appraoch the UAE & Oman

Later the cold front entered Oman and produced widespread rainfall and some heavy storms. Rain extended from northern to southern Oman (Salalah) which rarely receives winter rain. Similar to what happened in the UAE, 2 people died in Oman with many being stranded in Wadis.

The cold front also produced a few showers in Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia before affecting the UAE & Oman. Heavy rain also fell over the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

As the cold front left the region, cooler and gusty conditions (around 50 Km/hr in Bahrain) took place with colder nights with Sharjah airport recording 8c at 7AM on Feb 9, 2010. Other gulf countries experienced cold conditions as daytime temperatures struggled to exceed mid teens.