UAE sees stable weather, temperature to rise

Dubai - The NCMS has reported heavy snowfall up to 10cm thick around the Northern mountainous area in RAK

Sunshine covered the UAE on Saturday, a day after the country witnessed a cold snap marked by a strong sandstorm and snowfall as a result of the temperature that dropped to -5.10°C on Jebel Jais Mountains in Ras Al Khaimah.
According to the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), it was the lowest temperature UAE has witnessed since February 2008 in Jebel Jais, UAE's tallest peak.
The NCMS has also reported heavy snowfall up to 10cm thick around the Northern mountainous area in RAK, which started in the afternoon and reached its peak around 6:30pm, after temperatures reached sub-zero level on Friday morning. The snow had stranded many visitors on the mountain for long hours.
While the unstable weather and unusual strong winds, which reached 90Km/hr on Friday, came to an end Friday night, rough sea on the Arabian Gulf was still reported as winds blew with a speed of 70km/hr and wave height of 10 feet on Saturday morning. The rough sea warnings are expected to continue until Sunday morning.
A forecaster from the NMCS said the country has witnessed a significant drop in temperature over the past few days. "On Thursday, the temperature went down from 30 to 24°C, before it abruptly drops on Friday to 15°C," the forecaster said.
Lowest temperature recorded on Saturday morning was -2.9°C on Jebel Jais Mountain at 12am.
Over the next three days, however, temperatures are expected to rise by at least 10 degrees to reach the average of 24-28°C.
The unusual strong winds had toppled a crane of Shaikh Zayed Road and cancelled several music and sports events. 
When it first snowed in UAE
Jebel Jais, 5,700 feet (1,737 metres) above sea level, has been the snow wonderland spot ever since it was covered with a white blanket of snow for the first time ever in 2004.
Local media at the time said people were stunned by the incident that prompted Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, current ruler of Ras al Khaimah, to visit the mountains to see the snow and brought some back to show people.
Larger and longer snowfalls were reported for the second time in history in 2009, where the snow covered an area of 5Km and was 10cm deep. Temperatures on Jebel Jais dropped back then to as low as -3°C, reach 1°C the next day.
At the base of the mountains, residents also reported severe hail.
It snowed again in 2012 as the peak of Jais Mountain was covered with snow amid drop of the temperature below zero. A team of Ras Al Khaimah police has reportedly toured the mountain tops where they got "almost frozen."
The frost was caused by the cold northern winds laden with rainy clouds, indicating that the light to moderate rains had lashed many areas of Ras Al Khaimah, causing drop in temperature and forming of the frost on the high peak of mountain.
Then only last year in February, mountains and a few roadways in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah were covered in snow for two days. Several residents in the area had uploaded pictures of the weather on social media platforms, with many appearing to enjoy the unusual weather in the Northern Emirates.
Hailstorm had also struck parts of Dubai, followed by heavy rain.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com