Emirates clean up after ‘Wet Wednesday’, but how much rain actually fell?

Heavy rain hit parts of the UAE on Wednesday, sending torrents of water flooding through the streets.

But in other areas, residents experienced little more than the odd puddle. So where did most of the rain fall?

The nation’s weather bureau, the National Centre of Meteorology, released figures showing the areas most affected by the storm.

According to its data, Ras Ghanada, not far from Ghantoot on the coast between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, led the way with 54.4 millimetres of rainfall up until 7.30pm on Wednesday.

The next town hardest hit was Khatam Al Shaklah, on the outskirts of Al Ain, with 44.8mm of rain.

Umm Al Quwain also made the top five list, having been battered by a morning thunderstorm that brought cars to a standstill owing to poor visibility.

Powerful winds whipped up dust and sent heavy rain swirling through the air.

Wednesday’s wet weather was similar to the amount that fell during a spectacular storm a year ago, which brought 49.4mm of rain in only one hour in an area between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Yet even that storm was dwarfed by the horrific weather the UAE experienced in 1982.

“Low-lying areas of Abu Dhabi city set away from the main roads were flooded for weeks,” author and historian Peter Hellyer told The National earlier this year.

The highest rainfall yet recorded in November in the Emirates was at Delma Island in 2013, when 211.4mm fell.

November is a transitional period for the UAE climate, with cold pockets of air in the upper levels of the atmosphere leading to an increase in cloud, rain and strong winds.

Although heavy rain fell on Dubai, Ajman and Abu Dhabi during Wednesday night, residents were greeted by drier conditions on Thursday morning, even though light rain was reported in some areas.

The NCM said convective clouds would appear during the day with a further chance of rain.

Friday and Saturday will be largely cloudy with a possibility of light rain in parts of the country.