Rain likely to continue today, may slacken from tomorrow
SHARJAH: Unstable weather conditions prevailed all across the UAE as heavy to moderate rain continued to lash various parts of the country on Thursday.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), the unstable weather conditions are expected to continue to affect the country on Friday but will gradually be less severe from Saturday with a chance of rain on some northern and eastern coastal areas during the day.
The Sharjah Police have announced their readiness to handle the unstable weather conditions in Sharjah, as reported by the National Centre of Meteorology.
Measures have been taken, including dispatching traffic patrols and coordinating with partners to ensure traffic safety.
They have urged residents to exercise caution, stay away from valleys, maintain a safe distance between vehicles, and avoid distractions while driving.
The lowest temperature of 3.2 degrees Celsius was registered on Thursday in Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah at 1:00am, while 5.3 degree Celsius was registered in Jebel Al Mebrah in Ras Al Khaimah, 5.5 degree Celsius in Al Rahba Mountain and 9.3 degree Celsius in Jebel Al Haban.
The highest amount of rain of 63.8 mm was recorded on Al Faqa in Al Ain city, followed by 39.8 mm on the Port of Fujairah and 38.9 mm on the Sir Bu Nair Island in Sharjah.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has called on private sector companies in the UAE to ensure compliance with the occupational health and safety guidelines due to current unstable weather conditions.
The Abu Dhabi Police also called on drivers to be cautious due to the rainy weather conditions and to abide by the changing speed limits as shown on electronic traffic and guiding signs.
Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced some road closures which could affect traffic in the Emirate. The road closures are reported to be due to the accumulation of rainwater.
“Garn Al Sabkha” tunnel is closed in both directions and traffic is diverted to the intersection of the traffic lights above the tunnel (First Al Khail street with Garn Al Sabkha),” RTA indicated.
Rtaadvisedmotoriststousesheikhzayedroad, First Al Khail Street and Al Yalayis street instead.
Also, the intersection of Al Asayel Street with Latifa Bint Hamdan Street are also closed in both directions.
RTA suggested that the First Al Khail Street, Latifa Bint Hamdan Street and Umm Suqeim Street are proper alternative routes.
Dubai Police advised motorists to adhere to instructions to stay safe on the roads during rains and low visibility, as residents received alerts on the Dubai Police app, with the authority warning of a number of major accidents that took place on the road.
The Dubai Police Command & Control Centre handled 16,610 calls via the emergency numbers 999 and 901 between Wednesday 12:00 pm and 12:00 pm on Thursday in light of the current weather fluctuations.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Bilal Al Tayer, Acting Director of the Command and Control Centre, 15,286 of these calls were made to the emergency number (999), while 1,324 calls were made to the Dubai Police non-emergency call centre (901).
Al Tayer assured the public of the Force’s readiness to handle any situation and to ensure the safety of the community. He also urged the public to call 999 in emergencies only and 901 for non-emergency inquiries.
The Ports Police Station of the Dubai Police has advised the owners of boats, ships, yachts, and public members to exercise caution and refrain from going to sea in light of the current weather fluctuations.
The Ports Police Station urged boat owners to check the weather forecasts and sea conditions before embarking on any sea-going activity.
The Hata Police Station has affirmed its readiness to deal with emergency accidents in the region, whether in mountainous areas or valleys, especially during the current weather fluctuations.
Colonel Mubarak Bin Mubarak Al Ketbi, Director of the Hata Police Station, called on tourists and motorists to exercise caution and stay away from waterways and not use cars to cross valleys, as this would endanger their lives.
He also urged hikers to avoid trekking in the mountains during the rainy season and to call emergency services immediately in case of accidents or emergencies by dialling 999 and 901 for non-emergencies.
The Ajman Police announced they reduced the legal speed limit on Dubai-hata Street in the part located in the emirate’s Masfout and Muzeira areas as part of their efforts to achieve the Ministry of Interior’s strategic goal of improving road safety.
The legal speed limit signs for the road were changed to 80 km/h instead of 100 km/h and warning signs were added in the speed reduction area to alert drivers accordingly in line with the best traffic safety standards, said Lieutenant Colonel Saif Abdullah Al Falasi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Department at Ajman Police.