Current cold spell not an isolated local event, but part of global climate dynamics: Expert

As unusually cold weather swept across the UAE this week, many residents asked:

- Haneen Dajani

What’s behind this cold snap, how does it fit into global climate patterns, and what comes next? Khaleej Times spoke with Dr Mohamed Al Ebri, director of Meteorology at the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), to break it all down.What caused this cold wave?

Dr Al Ebri explained that the current cold spell affecting the UAE is not an isolated local event, but part of broader global climate dynamics. Central to this is the La Niña phenomenon — a climate pattern driven by cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean, which impacts weather patterns around the world.

"This cold is a result of these two phenomena that have a global impact..." Dr Al Ebri said, referring to La Niña and related atmospheric shifts.

In simple terms, La Niña influences global pressure and wind patterns, which can increase the likelihood of cold air outbreaks in certain regions, including parts of the Northern Hemisphere like the UAE. La Niña forms when Pacific trade winds strengthen, pushing warmer water westward and allowing cooler deep water to surface in the central and eastern Pacific. This shifts atmospheric circulation and affects rainfall, winds and temperature patterns worldwide.

Has La Niña hit the world beyond the UAE?