A UAE hailstorm in June 2024 caught residents off-guard when ice fell near Hatta during the height of summer — an event the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) confirmed was far from the norm for a desert nation.
Two Hail Events in One Week
The NCM reported two hail occurrences within the same week. The most dramatic came on Saturday, June 8, when heavy thunderstorms and hail struck along Al Watan road on the route to Hatta at around 5 PM local time.
A video posted by the Storm Centre captured storm chaser Fahad Mohamad Abdul Rehman dancing in strong winds and filming the unusual summer hail. The footage spread widely on social media, drawing both surprise and delight from UAE residents.
The NCM also confirmed that other parts of the country — including Ras Al Khaimah and areas of Sharjah — experienced heavy rains over the same weekend, in line with earlier forecasts.
Light Hail Recorded in Fujairah's Wadi Mai
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, June 7, light hail was observed in Wadi Mai, Fujairah — adding to what was already an unusually active weather week for the eastern UAE.
Following the rain activity, the NCM urged residents in eastern regions to remain cautious and prepare for possible flash floods.
Why Hail Forms in UAE Summer
Meteorologists explain that extreme summer heat creates intense convective clouds. As temperatures rise sharply at ground level, moisture-laden clouds build rapidly at altitude where temperatures drop. If the cloud droplets are large enough, they fall as hail before the ice has a chance to melt in the warm air below — a counter-intuitive but scientifically documented phenomenon in mountainous desert regions like the Hajar range near Hatta.
An Unpredictable Desert Climate
For a country defined by its desert climate, the UAE weather occasionally delivers the unexpected — even in June. These events are a reminder that the country's proximity to the Hajar Mountains and moisture from the Arabian Sea can produce short-lived but intense convective storms at any time of year.
