THE WEATHER, IN FOCUS
Follow the clouds. Read the radar. Understand the storm.
Check the timestamp inside the map. A blank map does not mean there is no storm.
THE DAYS AHEAD
A forecast for the selected place, not for all of the United Arab Emirates. Days and charts use UTC. Today may cover only the remaining hours.
Thunderstorm guidance is incomplete: a day without a thunder symbol is not an all-clear. Use official warnings for safety decisions.
The forecast loads as you reach this section.
Weather symbols describe model guidance for a point. “Thunder signal” means at least one displayed forecast interval contains a thunder symbol or a positive thunder probability. “No thunder symbol” is not an all-clear: lightning probabilities are not supplied for every location or every day, and small storms can be missed.
Rain totals add non-overlapping forecast periods. Temperature ranges include supplied interval extremes and available point samples; wind is the highest sampled sustained wind, not a gust forecast. Later days have coarser time steps and greater uncertainty. Check official warnings and radar again before outdoor plans.
Explore daily humidity, dew point, cloud cover and sea-level pressure. Gusts, apparent temperature, clear-sky UV and period probabilities appear only when supplied. Clear-sky UV assumes no clouds; it is not a forecast of actual UV exposure. A pressure change alone cannot establish whether a storm will develop.
Forecast data, attribution & licences · Forecast methods and limitations.
FIND YOUR VIEW
THE YEAR AT A GLANCE
For thunderstorms in the United Arab Emirates, distinguish the UAE's desert interior, Gulf coast and eastern Hajar mountain slopes. These areas can have different moisture, temperatures and storm triggers on the same day.
Typical regional patterns, adapted to local geography. This is educational guidance, not a forecast for this year's seasons or a measured national lightning frequency.
December–February
Many dry areas need a passing disturbance to supply moisture and lift. In the United Arab Emirates, occasional thunderstorms may accompany such systems; low annual rainfall is not protection from flash flooding.
March–May
Increasing warmth can combine with upper-level disturbances and occasional moisture incursions. In the United Arab Emirates, follow forecast changes closely when rain is mentioned after a long dry spell.
June–August
Very hot, dry air does not by itself produce thunderstorms. In the United Arab Emirates, mountain uplift, local moisture or a regional monsoon influence may matter more than the temperature shown for the capital.
September–November
A shift in circulation can bring episodic rain and thunder after dry weather. For the United Arab Emirates, look at the regional cloud pattern and official flood advice; the exact timing varies substantially.
Zoom out to include Oman, Saudi Arabia, then follow the actual rain-band movement across successive frames. Borders do not stop weather systems.
This country page combines the dry subtropical and desert regional pattern with local geography. Timing shifts between years, elevations, islands and opposite sides of mountains. Rainy seasons do not automatically mean thunderstorms every day. The calendar is a reading aid, not a risk scale.
ZOOM OUT. FOLLOW THE LOOP. LOOK AHEAD.
Zoom out to include Oman, Saudi Arabia, then follow the actual rain-band movement across successive frames. Borders do not stop weather systems. Use the map’s minus button to widen the view; plus brings you closer. A larger view gives context, not extra radar resolution.
Zoom out until the approaching rain bands and nearby sea or land are visible. Check the timestamp and whether the frames are observations or model forecasts.
Play the provider’s animation. Compare the same rain band over successive frames: is it approaching, weakening, growing or developing repeatedly over one area?
Cloud-level winds help steer storms. The wind shown in the daily forecast is near the ground and can differ. Fronts, mountains and new cell development can change the direction.
Radar helps with the next short period. Use the 7-day outlook for broader planning and check local official warnings. A clear radar image does not prove lightning is absent.
This is a method for reading the map, not an automatic prediction of storm arrival. The country radar remains the opening view; Compare maps adds a draggable map.
Learn about storm movementASIA
The page opens with rain radar to help you follow precipitation. Select Satellite for cloud imagery. These maps do not measure lightning strikes.
The country view is a starting point. A large country or island territory may extend beyond the initial map. The country radar opens first. Choose Compare maps to add a second, draggable view alongside it (below it on smaller screens). Compare the timestamps and legends yourself; the maps are not synchronized and may share source data. Larger map expands the view. Missing data, especially away from radar stations, should not be interpreted as clear weather.
Find official weather warningsEXPLAINER · NOT LIVE WARNING STATUS
International severity terms
We have not confirmed a country-specific warning scale here. The terms below explain international CAP severity only when they appear in an official alert; they are not this country’s national colour codes.
The alert describes little or no known threat to life or property.
A threat to life or property is possible.
The event poses a significant threat to life or property.
An extraordinary threat to life or property is described.
Severity has not been established. Unknown does not mean safe.
These terms do not confirm which system the local service uses. Read the issuing authority’s instructions, urgency, certainty, area and expiry time. Use the WMO directory to find official information.
International terminology only; the national scale has not been verified. Source review: 25 September 2026.
These are explanations, not active alerts. Always check the official area, issue time, expiry and instructions. Hearing thunder is a reason to take shelter at any warning level.
A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE GOES A LONG WAY
Practical lightning safety: choosing shelter, avoiding exposure and knowing when to go outside again.
Read guideWhere to stay indoors during lightning, what to avoid and why a porch is not proper shelter.
Read guideHow an enclosed metal-topped vehicle provides shelter, and why tyres are not the reason.
Read guide