DUBAI, 21 October 2026 — Thunderstorms, heavy rain and pockets of hail swept across the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, turning desert stretches white with ice and sending torrential downpours through parts of Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah, weather watchers and media reported.
Sharjah’s desert areas were covered with white hailstones on Tuesday as thunderstorms brought heavy rain, lightning and ice to the country in another spell of unsettled autumn weather, according to The Media Line. Video shared by weather-tracking account Storm AE showed small hailstones striking the sand around camels that remained standing through the downpour — the unusual desert scene quickly went viral on social media.
Viral desert scenes
Other footage showed hail rattling onto the ground in Dubai’s Al Heyab area, while the Sharjah communities of Al Madam and Al Dhaid also experienced hail or heavy showers, The Media Line reported. Rain fell around Mleiha and along the Sharjah–Kalba road, while Masafi in Fujairah recorded hail and rainwater flowed through mountainous areas.
The storms followed similarly unsettled conditions on Monday, when hail fell in parts of Fujairah and a camel was filmed walking along a rain-soaked road in Sharjah, The Media Line said.
According to Khaleej Times, the weather changed suddenly across several parts of the country on Tuesday, with dark clouds covering many areas of Dubai and Sharjah. Videos of the weather went viral on social media as local accounts shared images of hail falling in desert areas and dramatic scenes during the rainfall, Pakistan Point News reported.
More rain on the way
The country’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said unstable conditions could continue on Wednesday, with rain-bearing clouds expected to form over eastern districts and potentially spread inland, The Media Line reported. The forecast for Wednesday is fair to partly cloudy, with convective clouds developing over eastern areas by afternoon and bringing rainfall, according to Khaleej Times.
Light to moderate southeasterly to northeasterly winds are expected to blow, freshening at times with clouds and causing blowing dust at speeds of 10–25 km/h, reaching 50 km/h near thunderstorms, Khaleej Times said. Conditions are likely to get humid by night and Thursday morning over some coastal and internal areas, with a probability of mist formation.
Temperatures across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are expected to reach highs of 38–39°C and dip to lows of 26–28°C, while the sea will remain slight in the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea, the NCM forecast said.
Pakistan Point News reported the rain spell could continue through Thursday, October 23, with thunderstorms and strong winds also forecast for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and advised residents to take precautions.
Why the desert is flooding
Meteorologists attributed the week’s unsettled pattern in part to moisture carried inland from the Arabian Sea and the development of convective clouds, which form as warm, moist air rises and can produce intense local showers and hail, The Media Line reported. The national weather agency has said El Niño may increase the likelihood of above-average rainfall in the UAE, but warned against treating it as a direct explanation for any particular storm.
Sources: Khaleej Times (Oct 21), The Media Line (Oct 21), Pakistan Point News via UrduPoint (Oct 21).
