Rain forecast for eastern and northern areas as the Ministry of Interior urges people to avoid wadis
The UAE's National Centre of Meteorology forecast fair to partly cloudy weather on Saturday, with a chance of convective clouds forming to the east and north, bringing rain. The Ministry of Interior urged the public to take care and stay away from wadis, flood channels and areas where water gathers.
In its daily bulletin, the centre said winds would be light to moderate, freshening at times with the clouds and raising dust, blowing from the southeast to the northeast at 15 to 25 km/h and reaching 45 km/h. It will be humid overnight and on Sunday morning over some coastal and inland areas, with a chance of light mist, and seas will be slight in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
In its advice to the public, the Ministry of Interior said some parts of the country were seeing unstable weather that could bring heavy rain and possibly hail, which may cause wadis to flow, floods to form and water to collect. It urged people not to try to cross these areas, to reduce speed while driving and to follow the instructions of the relevant authorities. The Abu Dhabi Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre also urged residents to avoid crossing flooded areas and wadis during rainfall and to choose safe routes.
The official bulletin did not name specific cities for the rain, referring only to the eastern and northern parts of the country, the mountainous areas that usually see this kind of convective cloud when the weather is changing season. Specialists advise following official bulletins and alerts as they are issued, rather than relying on clips circulating online to judge how serious conditions are.
Al Majlis Analysis: Late-October rain over the eastern and northern highlands is a familiar sign that the summer heat is starting to ease. Convective clouds form as the mountains heat up during the day; the showers are short but can be heavy in limited areas. The real danger in these situations comes less from the amount of rain than from sudden wadi flows, when water gathers on the high ground and rushes into flood channels within minutes. That is why the same official advice is repeated every season: stay away from wadis, never risk crossing running water, and slow down. Following it is the difference between an outing to watch the rain and an accident that could have been avoided.