UAE faces weekend of unstable, stormy weather
Residents urged to stay safe on roads and avoid the sea
Residents woke up to heavy rain and thunder yesterday as strong winds and showers battered the country overnight.
The unsettled weather will continue for the next few days, according to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology
The NCMS warned residents to stay away from the sea and to use the roads with caution because of flooding threats in several areas and dust that affects visibility.
“The unstable conditions will continue until Monday night, caused by low pressure ,” said meteorologist Ahmed Habib. “These clouds are causing rainfall of varied intensity across the country and heavy showers are expected over the Northern Emirates.”
The most rainfall yesterday was 94 millimetres near Barakah Station in Al Dhafra Region.
Mr Habib attributed the heavy rainfall to cloud seeding. “It helps to increase the amount of rain, so although cloudy weather and rains are natural, the increase in the amount of rain is because of cloud seeding.”
Winds up to 75 kilometres per hour can be expected over the next two days “especially over the coastal areas”, Mr Habib said.
“We warn everyone to take care while driving because the roads are wet as a result of heavy rain and the water has also collected in some areas.
“Residents should also avoid going near the sea as the water will be very rough until Monday.”
Bad weather forced the cancellation of some outdoor events.
The Desert Warrior Challenge, an open- air obstacle course scheduled to take place in Ajman yesterday, was postponed.
“We have had to regrettably make the decision to cancel the Desert Warrior Challenge Ajman,” the organisers said on their Facebook page. Street Food Market DXB cancelled its event at Dubai Creek. The downpour caused flooding in some valleys in Ras Al Khaimah, with police having to close two roads. Flights in and out of the country were also affected. At least 10 Etihad flights were diverted to other UAE and GCC airports yesterday, while 41 per cent of flights were delayed at Dubai International Airport, according to flight tracking website, flightradar.com.
The rain was causing problems at home for residents.
“Every time it rains, we have water creeping into the house from the ceiling and maintenance never solves the problem,” said Anne Walker, who spent yesterday morning cleaning a flooded hallway of her home in Al Maha in the capital’s Al Muneera area.
“It is a lot of water, we need buckets to collect it. The maintenance people just fixed a hole in the roof and repainted it but the flooding has happened again.”