As UAE summer temperatures soar, why does it always rain in Al Ain?

The National

3 days ago

The UAE is firmly in the grip of peak summer with scorching temperatures being recorded daily across the country.
The highest temperature in the UAE on Monday was a sizzling 50°C in Owtaid in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi emirate, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said.
This year has also brought the hottest April and May on record. Climate change along with other factors such as El Nino ending have contributed, experts say.
But rain over some parts of the country such as Al Ain on Monday, across the Northern Emirates at the weekend and in parts of Abu Dhabi and Dubai last week have brought some relief.
The wet weather was in stark contrast to the rising temperatures across the country and come amid what has been the driest in recent years to date, with 38 per cent less rainfall than the historical average.
Videos shared by the NCM and Storm Centre, a social media channel that tracks the UAE's weather, showed motorists navigating rain-lashed roads, downpours falling on the desert and leaden skies.
So what explains the showers in the middle of the summer?
Weather systems from the Arabian Sea
The rains, particularly in the eastern parts of the UAE such as Al Ain, are caused by a low-pressure system from the south-east bringing moisture-laden air from the Arabian Sea, a meteorologist from the NCM told The National on Tuesday.
He said these systems then meet the mountains on the UAE's east coast, the air rises, meets a relatively cooler layer above and this can then lead to the formation of convective clouds and potentially rain.
'Moisture from the Arabian Sea is coming to our area,' the NCM forecaster said. 'This air mass comes from the sea to the mountains. The mountains then block the air.'
He added the heat over the country during the day also means air rises, creating an updraft, which further increases the chances of convective clouds and rain. 'All these [things] bring more rain, especially in Al Ain,' he said.
Coastal areas of the UAE are also experiencing high humidity – up to 70 per cent in some coastal areas – because of this weather system.
Climate records tumble
Despite the rains, this year has seen climate records tumble in the UAE with April and May the hottest on record. It marked a change from April 2024 when torrential rains caused major floods across the UAE, but particularly in Dubai.
Experts believe summers were getting warmer and starting earlier due to climate change, while other factors such as El Nino, a warming of the equatorial Pacific that stopped in 2024, as another reason for the hotter than normal 2025.
Dr Diana Francis, an assistant professor and head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (Engeos) lab at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, previously told The National that the El Nino factor means less rain for the Middle East and a lot of heat, because when it ends the way moisture is carried towards the Middle East weakens and high-pressure dominance increases.
But many parts of the world have been baking in heat. Greece fought wildfires on Tuesday across the country amid a severe heatwave, but many were believed to be under control. Turkey has also been battling fires and recorded its highest temperature in history.
A wildfire in Al Ain was extinguished on Monday, Abu Dhabi Police reported, but details of what caused the fire were not revealed. Other weather events such as dust storms have also been common.
Major rains are also not uncommon at this time with floods sweeping through the country's east coast in 2022. The waters flooded roads, inundated homes and forced people to seek emergency accommodation.
More rain for the UAE?
The NCM, meanwhile, said rain could return by the weekend.
In its five-day bulletin published on Tuesday, the NCM forecast a 'chance of some convective clouds formation eastward associated with rainfall' for Friday. It is a similar story for Saturday, with further chances for convective clouds and rain.