The UAE is in the middle of a cold snap, with low temperatures of 2ºC forecast in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah this week, and rain sweeping in from the west by Wednesday.
Cloudy conditions are expected until Friday, with rain forecast by the National Centre of Meteorology on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and noticeably cooler conditions across the Emirates, with lows of 14ºC forecast every day until Friday in Dubai and 15ºC in Abu Dhabi.
It follows a cold weekend, with temperatures in Jebel Jais dropping to 1.8ºC on Sunday, according to the NCM. The mercury rose slightly on Monday morning, with the UAE's lowest temperature of the day being 3.4ºC, recorded in the Raknah area of Al Ain at 7.15am.
Temperatures have dropped significantly since the turn of the year, NCM data shows. For comparison, the lowest temperature in the UAE on December 31 was 10.7ºC, in the vast desert region of Al Dhafra, in Abu Dhabi.
The chilly conditions and frost at the UAE’s tallest peak may be no surprise, but elsewhere in the Emirates there has also been a distinct feeling of winter in the air. Clear skies have coincided with temperatures dropping to 13ºC overnight in Al Ain, and 14ºC in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Daytime temperatures are set to remain at about 24ºC for much of the week across the country, but rain is likely to arrive from Wednesday.
Dubai and the Northern Emirates are most likely to be hit by rain showers as clouds form over coastal areas. Thursday is likely to bring a further chance of rain, with light to moderate winds from the north.
More rain is forecast on Friday, in northern and eastern areas of the country, with fog expected to drift in on Saturday morning.
Snow may be a rare sight in the UAE, but light flurries have been seen in the mountains of the north. In February 2017, Jebel Jais received a blanket of snow, with snow returning three years later in the winter of 2020.
The coldest temperature in the Emirates was recorded in January 2021, when it was a very icy minus 2ºC in Raknah.
Winter season arrives
The UAE typically experiences an increase in unsettled weather and a drop in temperatures during the winter, which typically begins in late December and continues until the middle of March.
The NCM recently shared its climate outlook January, in which it forecasts rain and says average temperatures will be in line with those recorded during the first month of the year.
The UAE is expected to receive about 11.5mm of rain during the month. The average temperature – taking into account day and evening forecasts – will be 18.3ºC.
While the country has experienced a chilly and relatively rainy start to the year, the unsettled start to 2025 pales in comparison to the extreme weather felt in January last year. A 10-hour rainstorm brought chaos to the roads on Saturday, January 11, causing long traffic jams and flooding.
Rain fell throughout Friday and the early hours of Saturday, leaving many roads waterlogged. Preliminary readings from Dubai showed that 150mm of rain had fallen every hour for two-and-a-half hours.
Another January deluge was recorded in 2023, with yellow and amber alerts issued as downpours caused flooding in some areas. On Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, floodwater covered parts of the 12-lane motorway, leading to long queues of traffic.
January deluge in 2020 – in pictures
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
More coverage from the Future Forum
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
