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Heavy rains in some parts, heat in others: Why Abu Dhabi saw wildly different weather
NCM explains why thunderstorms, rain and dust hit inland areas while downtown Abu Dhabi saw little change, as more showers and dusty winds are forecast in the coming days
- PUBLISHED: Sat 22 Aug 2026, 7:43 AM UPDATED: Sun 23 Aug 2026, 11:11 AM
For residents in parts of Abu Dhabi, the weather warnings on Friday may have seemed confusing. While rain, thunder, strong winds and dust were reported in parts of the emirate and some authorities announced precautionary closures, residents in downtown Abu Dhabi, including along the Corniche, largely saw no dramatic change — just the familiar humid heat, dusty white skies and greyish sea that have characterised much of the summer.
The reason, according to Maryam Al Shehhi, head of marine meteorology at the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), is that the weather system affecting the emirate was mainly concentrated over its inland and southern areas rather than the capital city.
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“During summer, the low-pressure systems that affect us come from the east and southeast,” Al Shehhi explained, pointing to areas around Al Ain and the mountains as the starting point for the development of convective clouds. The combination of intense surface heat, high humidity and much cooler air in the upper atmosphere creates atmospheric instability, allowing clouds to build rapidly and produce rain.
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But the resulting weather can be extremely localised.
Why some areas get rain while Abu Dhabi city stays dry
Al Shehhi said the low-pressure system is often present at the surface during summer, but it is much less common for the same system to extend into the upper layers of the atmosphere.
When both conditions occur together, however, the atmosphere becomes sufficiently unstable to produce the dramatic clouds, rain and winds seen in parts of the emirate.
The process also explains why rain can arrive with sudden bursts of dust.
As rain falls through the cloud, powerful downdrafts can develop. These descending currents of air hit the ground and spread out, lifting dust from the surface and producing the sudden dusty, hazy conditions seen around some rain clouds.
Watch a video by NCM, here:
Unlike ordinary horizontal winds, Al Shehhi explained, these currents initially move vertically as air descends from the cloud before spreading across the ground.
The strongest activity is usually concentrated inland, with Al Ain and areas around the Hajar Mountains among the locations that regularly see summer rain.
Within Abu Dhabi emirate, she said areas including Mohamed bin Zayed City, Shakhbout City, Al Shamkha, Al Shawamekh and other inland locations can be affected when the system extends far enough west.
The Al Dhafra region, including areas around Liwa, can also see summer rainfall because of the system's movement from the south.
This is why residents in one part of Abu Dhabi can wake up to thunderstorms and rain while people only a few dozen kilometres away see little more than humidity and haze.
Rain can arrive later in Abu Dhabi's inland areas
Al Shehhi said the timing of summer rain is also different across the UAE.
The eastern mountains can see convective activity earlier because the elevated terrain heats up quickly, helping air to rise and clouds to develop.
In Al Ain and Abu Dhabi's inland areas, the process can take longer.
On Friday, for example, rain began in some areas at around 6.30pm after the land had warmed sufficiently to trigger the rising air needed for convection.
“It takes time for the ground to heat up,” Al Shehhi explained, describing how the air continues rising until conditions become favourable for convective clouds.
More rain possible in the coming days
The latest NCM forecast indicates that the unsettled summer pattern is not over yet.
On Saturday, August 22, conditions are expected to be fair to partly cloudy, with a chance of convective clouds developing over eastern, southern and western areas by afternoon, associated with rainfall.
Winds will be light to moderate from the southeast to northeast, becoming fresh to strong at times and causing blowing dust and sand. Speeds could reach 50km/h.
Sunday is expected to bring another chance of afternoon rainfall over eastern areas, with winds reaching 40km/h and potentially causing blowing dust.
On Monday, convective clouds may develop over eastern areas, while Tuesday could bring rain-producing clouds over eastern and southern parts of the country. Winds on Tuesday could reach 40km/h and cause blowing dust.
By Wednesday, eastern and southern areas could again see afternoon convective clouds associated with rainfall, with winds reaching up to 45km/h and causing blowing dust and sand.
The sea is expected to remain slight in both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea through the forecast period.
Saturday morning could also be humid over some coastal areas, with a chance of fog or mist.
Don't expect summer rain to turn the desert green
Despite the frequency of some summer showers, Al Shehhi said they are not what makes the UAE's desert landscape turn green.
Summer rainfall is generally too brief and localised to provide the sustained moisture needed for vegetation.
“For the land to become green, we need light rain that continues,” she explained, describing a pattern where lighter clouds pass over an area, rain gradually, and return again the following day.
A sudden summer shower, even if it is intense, does not provide the same sustained watering effect.
Rain has been frequent in some areas since mid-July
Al Shehhi said the recent rain is also not an isolated spell, with some inland and eastern parts of the UAE seeing rainfall almost daily since mid-July.
“From mid-July until now, there have been areas where it rains almost every day,” she said, pointing to Al Ain and other inland areas as well as locations towards the east and north, including Al Shawieb, Al Hayer, Al Madam, Al Dhaid, Falaj Al Mualla and parts of Al Dhafra.
But the showers have been highly localised, meaning residents in Abu Dhabi city may see little or no sign of the rain even while thunderstorms are occurring elsewhere in the emirate.
Humidity may briefly ease after rain
For those stuck under Abu Dhabi's familiar summer blanket of humidity, there is at least one small consolation.
Al Shehhi said residents can sometimes notice the air becoming slightly drier after rain.
Before a summer shower, the atmosphere can feel especially oppressive, with a combination of heat and humidity creating the familiar “heavy” or stuffy feeling. Once the rain falls, that sensation can temporarily ease.
“Before it rains, you always get that heat and stuffiness,” she said. “Then, suddenly, the rain comes and the air becomes a little drier.”
But the relief is unlikely to last.
Temperatures are expected to gradually rise again after the current dip, with Al Shehhi noting that the mercury can fluctuate through the rest of August and September before a more noticeable seasonal decline.
The latest NCM bulletin puts Saturday's maximum temperatures at 38-43°C along the coast and islands, 44-48°C in internal areas and 33-37°C in the mountains.
No more 50°C days expected
While the heat is far from over, Al Shehhi said residents should not expect temperatures to return to the 50°C mark for the rest of the summer.
She said temperatures could climb back to around 48-49°C after the recent dip, before fluctuating again.
“By the end of August, hopefully, it will be around 46-47°C,” she said, adding that September could remain around 46-47°C before temperatures begin falling more noticeably in October.
By October, temperatures are expected to move down towards 41-43°C, while November should bring another significant drop, with temperatures reaching around 39°C.
From there, temperatures will continue to decline into the cooler winter months, eventually dropping below 30°C.
Al Shehhi also pointed out that the UAE's extreme 50°C temperatures arrived later than usual this year.
“Usually, we start reaching 50°C around the end of May,” she said. “But this year, May, June and July passed without reaching 50°C. We reached 50°C in August.”
