Abu Dhabi Police issue road warning as rain and hail fall in UAE
Thunder, lightning, rain and hail were observed in different parts of the Emirates in the space of a few hours yesterday, with the country forecast to face a wet and windy week.
Hailstones fell in Al Ain, causing disruption on the roads. More showers are forecast throughout the week, and storms are expected across the UAE this weekend.
Abu Dhabi Police yesterday issued a warning to motorists amid heavy rainfall in the morning.
“Abu Dhabi Police calls on motorists to exercise caution due to the rainy weather, and to follow the changing speed limits displayed on electronic information boards,” the force said in a social media post.
Also yesterday, the National Centre of Meteorology issued an orange alert for Abu Dhabi and yellow alerts for Dubai and Fujairah.
The orange alert warned of hazardous conditions in the capital and urged drivers to comply with instructions from authorities.
Earlier in the day, the NCM had warned of “rain with different intensities with lightning and thunder over scattered areas of Abu Dhabi”.
Al Ain was among the areas hardest hit by the wet weather. Residents told The National that the heavy rainfall had caused them several problems.
Samar Mahmoud, a tailor and fashion designer, was unable to meet her clients because the streets were flooded outside her home.
“I am facing a problem with the flooding in front of my house,” she said.
“This affects my job because clients can’t come. If I had to go run a few errands to buy products from the market, even that would be very challenging.
“To get a taxi I would have to get across the flooding to get to a pavement.
“My house is not equipped to handle such weather, and it often gets flooded.”
Schools have also been affected by the adverse weather.
Rayan Ahmed, 17, who attends Manor Hall International School in Al Ain, went to class yesterday, but authorities later sent pupils home as the rain grew heavier throughout the morning. Other schools were also forced to close early.
“There was more traffic than usual trying to exit the school,” Rayan told The National.
“There was a lot of rain in the street that required us to merge lanes.”