DUBAI - Cooler temperatures are expected across the emirates signalling the start of the winter season. Light rain and strong winds have also been are forecasted.

Sharjah and certain northern areas saw scattered rain on Wednesday, while the sky remain overcast in other emirates. Strong winds lashed at drivers along the major highways throughout the country, causing sand to rise and lower visibility along the Emirates Road towards Abu Dhabi.

Coastal areas saw waves of up to nine feet throughout the week. Strong winds have been forecasted in the coming days, as well.

According to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), most of the country can expect partly cloudy weather with a slight chance 
of rain.

Temperatures are expected to be between 18 and 31 degrees Celsius along the coast, 13 and 32 degrees in landlocked areas and nine and 22 degrees along the mountain side up north.

The NCMS also expects choppy seas and strong north-westerly winds with a speed of up to 45 km/hour along the coast, which could lead to highly dangerous conditions for those keen on fishing over the weekend. Beach-goers should consider staying closer to land to avoid undercurrents.

“As the weather gets cooler, it’s only normal to expect a large number of people heading to the beach to swim, enjoy water sports, fish and so on. Advising them to completely avoid these signature winter activities will not keep them away,” avid kite surfer Aron El Kamal, said.  “Thrill-seekers will jump at the challenge of facing rough seas, knowing full well that it can be deadly. There has even been a case where a kite surfer was blown so far off the shore that he hit a row of cars parked on the road near the beach.”  With such horror stories circulating among beach-lovers in the city, most adventurers make it a point to take extra precautions during unstable weather conditions.

“We always check the speed and direction of the wind first. Anything over 40 knots is too dangerous,” Aron added. Beach-goers should also be conscientious about leaving trash behind. Strong winds could blow trash into the sea or scatter waste onto roads, which could be dangerous as well as 
unsanitary.

praseeda@khaleejtimes.com