No rain alert today as weather stabilises
MOST SCHOOLS TO CONTINUE WITH DISTANCE LEARNING
The UAE’s tryst with “unstable weather” yesterday thankfully passed off without any major incident, even as the authorities coped with the storm with due preparedness.
Although residents woke up to the sound of howling winds and heavy rains in the wee hours of the day, the intensity of the storm was not so severe, much to their relief. Rains did pound different parts of the emirates through the morning but by the afternoon, the skies began to clear, with the sun shining forth, bright and reassuring.
So what will the weather be like over the next couple of days? It’s largely good news as weathermen say they are not expecting any rains in the coastal parts of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. Only some internal parts of the country and areas in the south and east will see overcast skies, with a chance of light to moderate rains.
Back to office
Meanwhile, most schools will continue with distance learning for the second day today, as recommended by the authorities on Tuesday. But office-goers will likely be back at their workplaces, both government and private.
Going forward, residents will also need to update themselves on the various services they wish to avail, following their temporary suspension or change in timings in view of yesterday’s rains. This applies not just to air, Metro, marine and bus transport, but also health and other public services. Regular checks on the social media channels of the authorities concerned have been advised in order to stay abreast with the updates.
Now, what was the impact of yesterday’s rains and how did the UAE cope with the storm — its second in less than a month after it witnessed its heaviest rainfall in 75 years on April 16 — is a story by itself.
Residents will need to update themselves on the various services they wish to avail, following their temporary suspension or change in timings in view of yesterday’s rains.
UAE residents woke up to the sound of strong winds and heavy rains early yesterday, even as the country coped with the impact of the adverse weather conditions with due preparedness over the course of the day.
Heavy rain was reported in different parts of the country from the wee hours. Most offices and schools operated online, as recommended by the authorities, resulting in fewer vehicles on the roads.
While waterlogging was reported in scattered areas, inclement weather impacted flights to and from Dubai, resulting in some delays, diversions and cancellations.
However, Dubai Airports announced that operations were back to normal in the evening.
Flights cancelled, diverted
A Dubai International Airport (DXB) spokesperson confirmed that 13 flights — nine arrivals and four outbound flights — were cancelled yesterday morning and five inbound flights diverted overnight.
Emirates Airline announced reduced flight operations at DXB due to the weather. Passengers flying into or out of Dubai on May 2 should be prepared for potential delays and rescheduling,” the airline said while providing the list of flights that were cancelled yesterday.
Passengers departing from Dubai’s airports were advised to allocate additional time for their journey to the airport, as road congestion was anticipated.
“We strongly encourage the utilisation of Dubai Metro to get to DXB Terminals 1 and 3 wherever feasible,” the spokesperson said.
Metro hours extended
Dubai Metro operating hours were extended from 12am to 5am to facilitate travel to DXB. Trains departed from Centrepoint Metro Station and only stopped at Emirates Metro Station, Airport Terminal 1, Airport Terminal 3 and GGICO stations.
Air Arabia also advised passengers flying from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah to plan for additional travel time to the airport. The airline also recommended updating contact information in bookings to receive the latest flight updates.
Sharjah Airport advised travellers to arrive at the airport three hours before departure and to check with airline companies on their flight updates.
In Abu Dhabi, Zayed International Airport and Etihad Airways urged passengers to allow adequate time to arrive at the airport.
Intercity buses suspended
RTA’s traffic management centres utilised advanced technology and real-time data to monitor traffic patterns, identify congestion hotspots, and implement alternative routes to alleviate traffic jams.
RTA suspended intercity bus services and advised commuters to follow social media channels for further updates.
In the afternoon, RTA announced the temporary suspension of ferry routes on Al Ghubaiba-Marina Mall; Dubai Water Canal-Al Ghubaiba; Dubai Water Canal-Al Ghubaiba; BluewatersMarina Mall; and Al GhubaibaSharjah Aquarium. It urged commuters to check its social media channels for updates. This also applies to roads that were closed as a precautionary measure.
Parks and beaches remained temporarily shut for the day, but reopened by evening.
Health facilities closed
Dubai residents were urged to call Dubai Health before visiting its facilities since the authority had closed some health centres and changed the opening hours of other facilities.
Residents could book the telehealth service via the Dubai Health app, the authority said. It also published a list of its facilities with their operational hours and urged residents to follow its social media pages for the latest updates.
Out of concern for the safety of the public, Sharjah Municipality announced the closure of medical fitness centres.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi briefly revised speed limits on some roads as streets reported waterlogging due to the heavy rains.
The National Center of Emergency Management and Crisis (NCEMA) encouraged the public to strictly follow all instructions and guidelines issued by relevant authorities for the safety of lives and property.