Saturday 31 October 2026 brings fair to partly cloudy weather across the UAE, with a fresh chance of rain in eastern and northern areas. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) expects convective clouds to form eastward and northward during the day, and those clouds carry a chance of rainfall. This guide explains the forecast for today, the fog risk overnight, the beach outlook for the weekend, and the NCM outlook to Tuesday 3 November.
Rain chances run through Monday 2 November in the NCM outlook, while Tuesday 3 November looks fair to partly cloudy. Meanwhile, humidity rises overnight, and fog may form by Sunday morning in some coastal and internal areas. For comparison, read the UAE weather update for 30 October and see how the pattern shifted in one day.
The NCM also shared seasonal guidance on El Niño this week, and the figure needs careful reading. This article keeps forecast facts and seasonal outlooks in separate sections, so you can tell today apart from the months ahead. Every figure below comes from the source named in each section, and no source figure appears merged with another.
What does the NCM forecast say for Saturday 31 October?
Khaleej Times reports the NCM forecast for Saturday 31 October as fair to partly cloudy, with a chance of convective cloud formation eastward and northward. The same report links those clouds with rainfall, so eastern and northern areas carry the main rain chance today. In fact, the rest of the country stays fair to partly cloudy in the same forecast.
Gulf News gives the same broad picture for Saturday, with rainfall expected in eastern and northern areas as convective clouds develop. The report also warns of strong winds raising dust at times, and it puts inland temperatures at up to 38 degrees Celsius. Both reports name the NCM as the source, and both agree on the broad pattern for today.
Khaleej Times adds that the day stays warm, with temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius in some areas. The paper gives Abu Dhabi a high of up to 35 degrees and Dubai a high of up to 35 degrees, with both cities at a low of 26 degrees. In contrast, Gulf News reports regional ranges rather than city figures, and those ranges appear in the temperature section below.
The sea stays slight in the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea on Saturday, in both the Khaleej Times and Gulf News accounts. For that reason, sea conditions look calm for the weekend, although local beach notices still matter, as a later section explains. Overall, today mixes a mostly settled picture with a focused rain chance in the east and north.
Where could rain fall in the UAE today?
Rain chances centre on eastern and northern areas on Saturday, in the Gulf News account of the NCM forecast. Convective clouds build over those areas first, and they may extend inland during the day. Emirates 24/7 names the same geography, with clouds in the east and north and rainfall linked to them.
Emirates 24/7 names Masafi, Fujairah and parts of Sharjah as the areas that may see rain today. Those three sit in the eastern and northern belt where convective clouds form most easily. In fact, no source names Dubai or Abu Dhabi city as a rain area for Saturday.
Rain on Saturday remains a chance, not a promise, in every source checked today. No source reports rain falling across the whole country on Saturday morning, and no source gives a rainfall amount for today. In short, eastern and northern trips carry the highest rain chance, while the rest of the country stays mostly dry.
Rain chances also run into Sunday 1 November and Monday 2 November in eastern and northern areas, in the NCM outlook. The outlook section below gives the day-by-day picture through Tuesday 3 November. Still, check fresh NCM updates before you leave, since convective cloud forecasts can shift quickly from one morning to the next.
How strong will the wind be today?
Khaleej Times reports light to moderate south-easterly to north-easterly winds for Saturday, from 10 to 25 kilometres per hour. The same report says gusts turn fresh to strong at times with cloud activity, reaching up to 55 kilometres per hour. Those gusts cause blowing dust, so drivers need extra care on open roads.
Gulf News reports the same base range of 10 to 25 kilometres per hour, with stronger gusts by area. Winds reach 35 kilometres per hour on the coast, 45 kilometres per hour inland and 55 kilometres per hour in mountainous areas in that report. The two wind ranges come from two separate reports, so this guide keeps them apart.
General driving advice for dust and mist stays simple, and it sits apart from the NCM forecast facts above. Drivers can use the checklist below before a journey through an affected area.
- Slow down early when dust cuts visibility
- Keep headlights on in mist and dust
- Leave extra space behind the vehicle ahead
- Pull over safely when visibility drops sharply
Dubai drivers can also check the Dubai new speed limits from 1 November before Sunday, since limits change on five roads. In particular, check fresh NCM updates before a long drive through eastern or northern areas. Daytime E611 closures and autonomous taxi tests run until Saturday 31 October near Al Maktoum International Airport, with three lanes closed and the airport tunnel shut from 9am to 4pm each day.
How warm will each city feel today?
Khaleej Times reports highs of up to 35 degrees in Abu Dhabi and up to 35 degrees in Dubai for Saturday, with both cities at a low of 26 degrees. The paper also names Mezaira in Abu Dhabi, where the mercury may dip to 19 degrees. The table below shows those figures exactly as Khaleej Times reports them.
| City | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | 35 degrees | 26 degrees |
| Dubai | 35 degrees | 26 degrees |
| Mezaira | Not stated | 19 degrees |
Emirates 24/7 reports a fuller city table for Saturday, with slightly different figures for some cities. Abu Dhabi reaches 36 degrees with a low of 24 in that table, while Dubai reaches 35 degrees with a low of 26. Ras Al Khaimah also reaches 36 degrees, and Fujairah stays coolest at 31 degrees.
| City | Maximum | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | 35 degrees | 26 degrees |
| Abu Dhabi | 36 degrees | 24 degrees |
| Al Ain | 35 degrees | 24 degrees |
| Sharjah | 35 degrees | 24 degrees |
| Ajman | 35 degrees | 25 degrees |
| Fujairah | 31 degrees | 25 degrees |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 36 degrees | 22 degrees |
| Umm Al Quwain | 35 degrees | 25 degrees |
| Liwa | 37 degrees | 25 degrees |
Gulf News reports regional ranges rather than city figures, with 33 to 37 degrees along the coast and islands. Inland areas reach 35 to 38 degrees, while mountain areas reach 26 to 32 degrees in that report. Humidity could reach 90 per cent in some coastal and inland areas, in the Gulf News account.
Meanwhile, Khaleej Times reports temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius in some areas, which sits above the city highs in both tables. For that reason, inland and desert areas feel the warmest today, while Fujairah and the mountains stay cooler. Overall, the two tables differ slightly, so read each one as its own outlet account.
Will humidity and fog affect Saturday night and Sunday morning?
Khaleej Times reports humid conditions by night and Sunday morning over some coastal and internal areas. The same report links the humidity rise to the overnight period, so Saturday evening feels muggier than the afternoon. In fact, humidity forms the main overnight story in all three reports checked today.
Gulf News reports humidity reaching 90 per cent in some coastal and inland areas. The report also says mist may form in some coastal and inland locations overnight and into Sunday morning. For that reason, early Sunday drivers need extra care, especially near the coast and in internal areas.
Emirates 24/7 gives city humidity figures for the weekend, with humidity rising to 80 per cent in Dubai and Sharjah and 90 per cent in Fujairah. The report says fog is likely overnight and on Sunday morning in some coastal and internal areas. In contrast, daytime humidity stays lower, so the fog risk builds only after dark.
For readers planning an early Sunday start, the fog picture matters more than the rain picture. Fog forms overnight when humid air cools, and it clears as the sun warms the ground. Still, leave extra time for a Sunday morning journey, and check fresh NCM updates before you leave.
Is this a good weekend for the beach?
Emirates 24/7 calls the weekend a good beach weekend, with calm seas in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The NCM forecasts slight sea conditions in both the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, in all three reports checked today. For that reason, the sea itself looks friendly for beach plans on Saturday.
Emirates 24/7 reports wave heights of up to two feet on-shore and up to three feet off-shore in both seas. Those small waves suit a calm beach day, although sea conditions can change with wind gusts near cloud activity. In short, the sea forecast supports beach plans, while the rain chance stays focused on eastern and northern areas.
Beaches in Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah remain temporarily closed as a precaution after the oil spill, according to The National on 30 October. That closure sits outside this weather forecast, so check local beach notices separately from weather updates. For that reason, pick a beach in an open emirate, and confirm the notice before you travel.
For the weekend ahead, the next public holiday in the UAE guide helps with longer-term planning, since no holiday news forms part of this forecast. Overall, Saturday suits the beach in open areas, with the east and north carrying the rain chance instead.
What does the outlook say for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday?
Sunday 1 November stays unsettled in the NCM outlook, with further rain chances in eastern and northern areas. Gulf News reports the same pattern for Sunday, with humid conditions overnight and into Monday morning. Fog or mist may form in some coastal and inland areas on Sunday morning as well.
Monday 2 November brings another chance of rainfall in eastern and northern areas, in the Gulf News account of the NCM outlook. The unsettled spell runs through Monday, so eastern and northern trips carry a rain chance for three days in a row. Meanwhile, the rest of the country stays fair to partly cloudy through the same period.
Tuesday 3 November brings fair to partly cloudy weather, with no rainfall indicated in the NCM forecast for the day. The change marks the end of the unsettled spell, at least in the current outlook. In fact, Tuesday looks like the calmest day of the four, with no rain chance in the forecast.
For longer journeys between the capitals, the Etihad Rail passenger trains guide between Abu Dhabi and Dubai explains the new passenger service. Still, rail plans need a weather check on the day, since rain and dust can affect any journey. Overall, the weekend rewards flexible timing, with mornings carrying the fog risk and afternoons carrying the cloud risk.
What caused this unsettled spell?
Gulf News reports the cause as an extension of a surface low-pressure system, accompanied by an extension of an upper-air low-pressure system. The NCM gives that explanation for the whole unsettled spell, and the same cause appeared in the forecast for Friday 30 October. Low pressure helps air rise, and rising air helps clouds grow.
Convective clouds form when warm, moist air rises quickly, and they can build tall towers in a short time. For instance, eastern and northern areas see them first, since the mountains help lift the air. The clouds may then extend inland during the day, carrying the rain chance with them.
The pattern has run since earlier in the week, and the UAE weather update for 28 October shows the earlier stage of the same spell. In contrast, Tuesday 3 November looks settled, which suggests the low-pressure influence eases by then. Still, forecasts can shift, so the NCM daily update stays the practical guide.
For UAE readers, the lesson stays simple, since global patterns shape the background, while local low-pressure systems shape each day. The El Niño section below explains the seasonal background separately from this daily cause. Overall, one low-pressure system explains the rain, wind and dust across the whole weekend.
What rain and hail did the UAE see earlier this week?
The National reports the highest rainfall this week at 38 millimetres in Masafi. Hail and heavy showers hit several areas this week, with heavy rain in Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Dubai and Al Dhafra. Showers also affected northern and eastern areas, in the same report.
The same report also notes colder weather in some eastern and northern regions in the Friday outlook, alongside the rain chance. Residents should follow authority updates, particularly when travelling through rain, blowing dust or reduced visibility. In fact, the earlier rain fell unevenly, with some areas seeing heavy showers while others stayed dry.
Read the UAE weather update for 29 October for the earlier stage of this unsettled spell, when rain and hail chances first appeared in the forecast. The earlier-week rain sits firmly in the past, and no source says the same amounts fell on Saturday 31 October. In short, this week already brought real rain and hail, while today brings only a forecast chance.
Weekend plans need a flexible approach, with eastern and northern trips carrying the highest rain chance. Check fresh NCM updates before you leave, and keep beach and boat plans tied to sea conditions, since the sea stays slight in both seas on Saturday. Finally, keep an eye on NCM updates through the weekend, because convective cloud forecasts can shift quickly from one morning to the next.
What does the El Niño outlook mean for the months ahead?
El Niño involves unusually warm surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, alongside shifts in atmospheric circulation. For instance, the NCM shared an educational video on X this week to clarify the effect on UAE weather patterns. The NCM puts the probability that El Niño persists from November 2026 to March 2027 at about 96 per cent, with effects possibly extending into April.
The 96 per cent figure needs careful reading, and the NCM stresses the distinction in its own guidance. The figure gives the probability that El Niño persists, not the probability of rain in the UAE. In other words, El Niño staying active does not guarantee heavy rain on any given day.
The NCM explains that rainfall and intensity depend on moisture, wind patterns, low-pressure positions and conditions that help air rise and clouds grow. Moisture may arrive from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, but wind direction and weather-system positions decide whether moisture reaches the UAE. When the right conditions come together, rain chances rise, and in some cases rain can turn heavy.
The seasonal outlook also points to UAE temperatures and rainfall near or above normal during the period from November 2026 to March 2027. Still, a seasonal outlook describes broad trends, rather than precise weather for individual places. For that reason, treat the winter outlook as a broad trend, and treat each NCM daily forecast as the practical guide.
What else do readers ask about UAE weather today?
Will it rain in Dubai today?
Dubai faces a rain chance on Saturday, mainly through convective clouds forming eastward and northward. No source guarantees rain in Dubai itself, and the main picture stays fair to partly cloudy. Khaleej Times reports a Dubai high of 35 degrees, while Emirates 24/7 reports the same 35 degrees, so check the separate tables above.
Will it rain on Sunday 1 November?
Rain chances continue on Sunday 1 November in eastern and northern areas, in the NCM outlook. Monday 2 November brings another rain chance in the same areas. Tuesday 3 November looks fair to partly cloudy, with no rainfall indicated in the NCM forecast for the day.
How strong will the wind get?
Khaleej Times reports gusts reaching up to 55 kilometres per hour with cloud activity, while Gulf News reports winds reaching 35 kilometres per hour on the coast, 45 inland and 55 in the mountains. Strong gusts raise dust, so allow extra care on open roads and near cloud activity.
Will fog affect driving on Sunday morning?
Fog is likely overnight and on Sunday morning in some coastal and internal areas, in the Emirates 24/7 account. Gulf News reports mist possible in some coastal and inland locations overnight into Sunday morning. For that reason, leave extra time for an early Sunday journey, and keep headlights on in mist.
Is the sea safe for beach visits this weekend?
The NCM forecasts slight sea conditions in both the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman on Saturday. Emirates 24/7 reports wave heights up to two feet on-shore and up to three feet off-shore in both seas. Check local beach notices before you travel, since this guide gives general information only.
Does the 96 per cent El Niño figure mean heavy rain?
The 96 per cent figure covers El Niño persistence from November 2026 to March 2027, not rain probability. Rainfall depends on moisture, wind patterns and low-pressure positions on each day. For that reason, El Niño staying active does not guarantee heavy rain on any given day.
