Some residents enjoy the change in weather
dubai — From their phones getting switched off to get-togethers getting cancelled, UAE residents were taken by surprise by the cold wave that hit the country this weekend.
Tourists Zakaullah Siddiqui and Chaman Siddiqui came all the way from New Delhi to escape the painfully cold winters of the Indian capital, but were completely caught unaware by the icy cold winds as they landed in Dubai. “I did not get any winter gear or even woolen socks or thermals this time to Dubai as my daughter, who is a resident of Dubai, said it was pleasant. We — me and my wife — are now borrowing woolens from our son and daughter here. But we are having a good time here as the whole city seems to have come alive with the much awaited rains,” said Siddiqui.
For Shakir Munir and his family, weather played a spoilsport as he, along with his extended family, had planned to enjoy a bonfire and BBQ party on Jebel Jais mountains. His wife Lubna said: “We read the forecast this morning that temperature would dip to -2 degrees Celsius on the mountains. But we reached the base of Jebel Jais by 3pm, and not allowed to go up due to inclement weather conditions.”
Abdul Muqeeth, another resident, was all set for a cricket match with his Mangalorian friends as part of the Byndoor welfare committee that had organised a tournament as a part of their annual programme. “The event was scheduled to start at 1.30pm at Mamzar grounds and about 60 of us had gotten together for the match. However, after waiting until 3pm, we finally called off the event.”
Over in Abu Dhabi, some residents were literally blown away by the weekend’s chilly weather.
The weather dropped to 13 degrees Celsius by 6pm, with heavy dust storms sweeping the motorways of the Capital.
Visibility was reduced to around two kilometres in many parts of Abu Dhabi, according to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS). Temperatures plunged to lows of 12 degrees Celsius in inlands. “I have never seen such cold weather in my last fifteen years in Abu Dhabi,” said Nasser Hussain, an Egyptian living in Al Bateen area.
Thirty-year-old Zainab Al Adami told Khaleej Times that she was certainly not expecting Friday’s sudden weather change.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com