Parts of UAE to see thunder and rain throughout this weekend

Rain was set to hit parts of the UAE on Thursday with more expected throughout the weekend.

Thundery showers were forecast for several hours in Dubai from 8pm.

Rain fell steadily over Al Ain on Thursday afternoon, a video from the National Centre of Meteorology showed.

The end of the summer and early autumn period often brings unsettled weather, with high humidity and occasional downpours.

“Rain of different intensities is expected to fall over areas of Al Ain and Al Dhafra and over some internal areas including Dubai and Sharjah starting from Thursday,” a forecaster said.

“We expect it to continue until Saturday, with high chance of rain from noon until 10pm."

Temperatures will peak at 43-44°C in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and 36°C in Fujairah.

Forecasters said to expect blowing dust and sand at various times.

The country has been largely dry since record downpours caused widespread flooding in January.

On the weekend of January 11, readings from Dubai showed that 150mm of rain had fallen every hour for two-and-a-half hours. In an average January, just 10mm of rain usually falls in Dubai over the full month.

Schools closures and streets and tunnels flooded, with the authorities mounting a huge clean-up operation.

Record January floods - in pictures