Winter weather
▶ Torrential rain and high winds disrupt flights and lead to problems on the country’s roads
Threatening clouds over Abu Dhabi yesterday before the UAE was hit by torrential rain and winds strong enough to rip branches from trees and blow over hoardings. Roads in many areas of the country were flooded.
Severe weather warnings were issued yesterday when heavy rain and high winds lashed parts of the UAE.
Torrential downpours swept through Abu Dhabi and Dubai at lunchtime, severely reducing visibility on the roads. Dark clouds formed across the capital, enveloping many of its tower blocks.
Thunderstorms also hit parts of Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Sharjah on Saturday night and continued yesterday morning.
Dubai Airports warned travellers to expect some disruption to flights and asked passengers to check its website for updates. Warnings were also issued by the Civil Defence, police and the National Centre of Meteorology.
“Where is the Sun?” tweeted one Dubai resident. “I didn’t sign up for this. We’re not used to this weather in Dubai.”
As the afternoon progressed, intermittent rolls of thunder continued to reverberate around the capital.
Winds battered buildings and, in one instance on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, near the British embassy, a construction site crane was ripped from its moorings and sent crashing into the side of a neighbouring high-rise.
Officials at the National Centre of Meteorology told
that the bureau had carried out cloud seeding flights over “coastal and internal areas” on Saturday and yesterday.
The exact number and location of the flights was not given but experts said the strategy was an effort to enhance seasonal rains.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Police reduced speed limits to 80 kilometres an hour across the emirate and called on motorists to drive safely.
Police also sent out an emergency text message that read: “Due to bad weather please take caution while driving on public roads.”
Schools in the emirate were also affected. Officials at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi texted parents telling them that after-school activities had been cancelled but that all children were safe.
“Please do not come and collect children,” the school said. “When the weather eases, we will email with a pick-up plan.”
Hazardous conditions along sections of the coast in Fujairah and Sharjah were expected to continue until about 8pm today.
Residents were advised to brace themselves for the possibility of more rain, rough seas and strong winds.
Yesterday, video shared on social media showed Louvre Abu Dhabi lashed by winds and rain. Water poured through the domed roof, flooding open-air parts of the museum.
In Dubai, a video shared on Twitter showed water streaming through the roof of Dubai
Mall on to shoppers below. A similar scenario was repeated in the car park where water gushed from the ceiling. Mall developer Emaar said the heavy rain had caused leakages in “limited areas”.
“We are working to contain all leakages and the mall remains operational and open to the public,” the company said.
“Mall staff are on the ground, ensuring the visitor experience remains unaffected.”
Traffic in Dubai Media City came to a standstill as the heavens opened and thunder echoed across the skies.
Motorists navigated the treacherous conditions in bumper-to-bumper traffic while pedestrians sprinted for the cover of shops and office buildings.
On Saturday, the National Centre of Meteorology shared videos on its Twitter page showing heavy rain showers and dangerous driving conditions in northern parts of the country.
It issued yellow and red warnings for people living near the coast to stay on high alert, saying severe rainstorms would continue into the evening.
Skies are expected to remain overcast in Dubai and Abu Dhabi today, with intermittent rain expected, but the worst conditions will be over by the morning.
In the Northern Emirates, however, storms are expected to continue until this evening.
“[On Monday] morning, the rain will be concentrated over the east part of the UAE and some parts of the north,” said Ahmed Habib, a meteorologist.
He advised motorists to avoid driving if possible.
“Visibility will be poor on the motorway between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and Abu Dhabi and Dubai,” Mr Habib said. “Everyone should take extra precautions when driving.”
Mountainous areas and wadis can experience deadly flash floods during big storms and should be avoided.
Although bad weather is a rarity across much of the UAE, downpours can be torrential when they do occur.
“It’s a time of transition between summer and winter, so the pressure system changes quickly and creates unstable weather conditions,” Dr Habib said.
Last year, pop star Dua Lipa was forced to call off her show in Abu Dhabi because of high winds and rain. In March 2016, more than 30 centimetres of rain fell on the capital over a five-day period.