The National Centre of Meteorology has issued an alert for unsettled weather across the UAE from Thursday through Monday, with heavy rainfall expected in western and eastern regions.
The UAE is bracing for another round of wet weather. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has forecast unsettled conditions starting Thursday and running through Monday, with scattered rainfall expected across the country and the possibility of heavy downpours in western and eastern areas.
The alert comes just weeks after a series of powerful storms battered much of the country in late March, flooding roads in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and prompting emergency responses across multiple emirates.
UAE Weather Alert: Dusty Winds and Cooler Temperatures Before Thursday Rain
Before the rain moves in, residents can expect fair to partly cloudy skies on Tuesday and during daytime hours on Wednesday. Conditions will be occasionally dusty, with fresh to strong northwesterly winds raising sand across the country. Temperatures will also drop noticeably compared to last week.
The NCM said clouds are expected to move in from the west at intervals starting Thursday, bringing light to moderate rainfall across various parts of the country. Some areas could see heavy rain, particularly in western and eastern regions. Seas are expected to be rough to very rough at times during the unsettled stretch, according to Gulf News.
April marks the beginning of the spring transitional period in the UAE, when atmospheric pressure systems shift and weather conditions can change rapidly. The NCM noted that the sun’s northward movement toward the Tropic of Cancer is gradually increasing daylight hours and pushing temperatures higher overall, though this week’s system will temporarily reverse that trend.
March 2026 UAE Flooding: Sharjah and Abu Dhabi Still Recovering
The new forecast arrives as parts of the UAE are still cleaning up from the storms that swept through between March 21 and 28. Sharjah was hit hardest, with major roads submerged and municipal teams working around the clock to pump floodwater from neighborhoods including Al Majaz, Muwailah, Al Qasimia and Abu Shagara. Sharjah authorities had activated a rain emergency plan ahead of the worst downpours, mobilizing 1,200 personnel and heavy equipment.
Parts of Abu Dhabi and Ajman recorded near-annual rainfall totals in a single day during that period, with 93.3mm falling at Al Manama in Ajman and 91mm at Ghayathi in western Abu Dhabi. Yanas mountain in Ras Al Khaimah recorded 244mm. Police across Dubai and Abu Dhabi reduced highway speed limits and urged motorists to avoid flood-prone areas and wadis.
Business owners in Sharjah’s Al Majaz 3 area reported significant losses. One photo-copy centre owner told The National he suffered between Dh300,000 and Dh400,000 in damage despite installing waterproof barriers after the April 2024 floods had cost him nearly Dh1 million.
Dubai Tasreef Drainage Project and UAE Flood Prevention Infrastructure
The recurring floods have put the spotlight on the UAE’s drainage infrastructure. Dubai Municipality is pressing ahead with the Tasreef Programme, a Dh30 billion initiative to overhaul the emirate’s stormwater drainage network. In February 2026, the municipality awarded Dh2.5 billion in Phase Two contracts covering 30 areas and roughly 430 million square meters. The projects include a four-meter-wide main tunnel connecting communities along Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Al Yalayis Road to the primary drainage network, plus a 27-kilometer integrated system between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Jamayel Road.
Phase One contracts worth Dh1.4 billion were awarded in April 2025, adding more than 36 kilometers of new drainage lines. Dubai Municipality has said the completed Tasreef system will increase drainage discharge capacity by 700 percent over the next century.
Scientists say the investment is well-timed. Research by Khalifa University and the NCM found that the UAE now experiences up to two more stormy days per year compared to 2000, driven by climate change. Dr. Diana Francis, head of Khalifa University’s Environmental and Geophysical Sciences Laboratory, has said that warmer air holds more moisture, fueling more severe convection and extreme rainfall. Climate projections suggest the number of stormy days could nearly double by 2100.
For now, residents should prepare for cooler temperatures this week and keep an eye on NCM updates as Thursday’s rain system approaches.
