Will tree tops be glistening this year..?

I’m laying the disclaimers out here, deep and crisp and even. Thick blankets of the stuff. A veritable ‘pinches of salt’ blizzard.

The prevailing weather of any demarcated area is dependent on an incalculable number of moving variables, so no forecast – regardless of how sophisticated the equipment and algorithms it’s derived through, are – can predict with absolute certainty whether the weather will be merry and bright.

But Christmas is a time for miracles, wishing and belief trumping incontrovertible fact – so the coin flip of a weather bulletin feels thematically on brand.

Will it rain in the UAE this Christmas Day?

Possibly. At least in some parts of the UAE.

The National Centre of Meteorology’s five-day forecast takes us up to Saturday December 28, and warns we should expect weather best described as “partly cloudy to cloudy at times over some Eastern, Northern and coastal areas with rainfall”. So that’s the trend.

Other weather prediction services are more sceptical about the anticipation of precipitation. Apple Weather seems to think Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be present-ed with a day that’s drier than a slab of school dinner turkey, sans the gravy. It’s boldly given the chance of rain a full-on festive wreath, nill point – 0 per cent.

AccuWeather gives a Dubai wet Christmas just a 2 per cent probability. Roughly the same chance as dads knowing what every single one of the kids’ presents are under the tree. Abu Dhabi is currently sitting with a crusty stuffing rate of just 1 per cent.

The Weather Channel gives slightly better odds, 3 to 7 per cent in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

And when we asked the What’s On office Magic 8 Ball whether it would rain, it said “Outlook Good”. Which could be taken either way. And is that not the true spirit of Christmas? You take out of it, what you wish for.

Images: What’s On Archive