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UAE weather: Final wave of heavy rain, thunder, hail expected before temperatures drop
Residents report sudden storm bursts as unstable conditions continue across the country
- PUBLISHED: Wed 25 Mar 2026, 1:04 PM
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has forecast a final, intense wave of unstable weather across the UAE, with heavy rain, thunder, lightning and possible hail expected from Thursday night into Friday before conditions begin to ease.
The country has already been experiencing successive waves of rainfall since the weekend, sweeping from western regions and islands to coastal cities and inland areas.
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Residents in Abu Dhabi reported rapidly changing conditions on Wednesday, with weather shifting within minutes.
At around 11am, strong winds began accelerating, followed shortly by light rainfall that quickly intensified into heavy downpours in short bursts.
These fast-moving storm intervals, two recorded within a short span, reflect the convective cloud activity highlighted by the NCM, where weather systems build and intensify quickly before dissipating.
Heavy rain to continue midweek
According to NCM, Wednesday will see continued cloud activity, with convective clouds forming over western areas early in the day before moving across Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi and towards northern and eastern regions later.
These clouds are expected to bring periods of heavy rainfall, particularly in western and central parts.
Brief lull before final wave
Conditions are expected to ease slightly on Thursday, with the impact of the low-pressure system relatively weakening. However, light to moderate rainfall may still occur at intervals, mainly over islands and northern areas.
Strongest impact Thursday night into Friday
The most significant weather activity is forecast between Thursday night and Friday, when the final wave of the system moves across the UAE.
Rain is expected to begin over western regions on Thursday night before spreading to Al Dhafra and Abu Dhabi by late night and early Friday, then extending across northern emirates, Al Ain and eastern regions during the day.
The NCM warned that this phase could bring:
Heavy rainfall
Thunder and lightning
Possible hail in limited areas
Winds, rough seas and reduced visibility
Winds will shift from southeasterly and northeasterly to northwesterly, becoming moderate to strong at times, especially with cloud activity.
Blowing dust and sand may reduce horizontal visibility, while sea conditions are expected to remain rough in both the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
Cooler weather by Saturday
By Saturday, conditions are set to stabilise, with cloud cover decreasing and temperatures dropping, alongside continued fresh to strong north-westerly winds.
