“We’re not finished yet,” said Mohammed Sajjad, the meteorology enthusiast recognized on social media as UAE Weatherman.
If you’ve already packed away your winter clothes, you might want to reconsider. Yesterday was slightly chilly, today will feel warmer, and by Friday, temperatures are expected to drop again.
“We are not done yet,” said Mohammed Sajjad, the weather enthusiast known to social media followers as UAE Weatherman. “Winter isn’t officially over until March 20.”
He explained that northwesterly winds are expected to sweep across the emirates on Friday and Saturday, February 21-22, bringing colder air. “Northwesterly winds bring cooler conditions and can lower temperatures by up to two degrees,” Sajjad said. “In contrast, southeasterly winds raise temperatures by roughly two degrees.”
That partly explains the weather contrasts UAE residents have felt this week. Desert areas recently recorded highs of 35°C, yet yesterday’s northwesterly winds made daytime temperatures feel slightly cooler.
Bigger picture
These swings highlight that calendar winter and actual weather don’t always align. Astronomically, winter lasts until March 20, but temperatures can fluctuate due to wind patterns rather than specific dates.
By mid-March, Sajjad says, wind intensity is expected to drop, while southwesterly winds will rise, gradually bringing more consistent warmth. He adds that beyond these short-term shifts, a bigger story is at play: global warming is gradually raising temperatures, but natural climate cycles complicate the picture.
Sajjad points to the El Niño and La Niña patterns, which are influenced by sea surface temperatures. La Niña brings colder conditions and less rainfall, while El Niño tends to reduce cold spells and increase rainfall — as the Arabian Peninsula experienced in 2023-2024, when almost every month saw rainfall.
This year was initially expected to follow a La Niña pattern, yet February has been unusually warm. “The system is moving toward neutral,” Sajjad noted. “It might shift to El Niño.”
This neutral shift has implications for the months ahead, typically signaling increased rainfall. “We’re expecting rain in March and April,” he said.
For now, the message is simple: winter hasn’t clocked out yet. Friday’s northwesterly winds will remind residents that March 20 is still a month away, and until then, the UAE’s weather will keep everyone guessing.
