A weather alert has been issued, warning of heavy rain, thunder, lightning, and high winds set to strike most areas of the UAE on Thursday and Friday.
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said the “main rainfall wave” of a sustained period of turbulent weather is the one that will occur over the western parts of the country and then proceed eastwards to Abu Dhabi on Thursday evening, until Friday.
The bureau in the latest five-day bulletin predicts that on Thursday, “different intensities of rainfall accompanied by lightning, thunder and hail over limited areas.”
It warns that the wind speed may even extend to 60kph and that it is capable of blowing dust to the extent of further impairing visibility, a dangerous situation on the roads.
According to the online weather map provided by the NCM, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the Northern Emirates are likely to experience heavy rain on both Thursday and Friday, and the weather is currently expected to improve over the weekend.
Therefore, the scattered showers and cloudy skies are in store on Wednesday, before the worst of the unstable weather conditions. The MSN weather website forecasts that Abu Dhabi and Dubai are about to experience a deluge, which will start on late Thursday.
In Abu Dhabi, the rain is expected to begin from 10 pm on Thursday, and the downpours will continue throughout Friday. The capital is expected to receive approximately 16mm of rainfall, approximately half of which is expected between midnight and 2 am, with drier weather conditions approaching in the early afternoon.
Meanwhile, Dubai is expected to receive an average of 8mm of rain on Thursday, with wet weather peaking midday through to 2 pm. MSN’s latest data reported that Friday is expected to have more severe weather.
The emirate will receive about 15mm of rain throughout the day, with the peak rainfall between 4 am and 6 am, and the scattered showers occurring till approximately 2 pm. Many of the UAE residents had experienced unsettled weather conditions on Sunday, with motorists forced to navigate waterlogged roads.
However, Ras Al Khaimah had the most severe downpours. Videos from the Storm Centre, a prominent weather tracking platform of the UAE, indicate waterfalls on Jebel Jais.
Both the NCM had predicted the conditions and warnings issued by both the Dubai Police and the Abu Dhabi Police urged the citizens to adhere to safety protocols in the unfavorable conditions.
According to the NCM, over 33mm of rain fell in Fujairah between Saturday and Monday, 19mm in Sharjah at Khor Fakkan during the same time. Approximately 12.5mm of rainfall hit Ras Al Khaimah on Sunday.
The NCM has urged motorists to be cautious on the roads this week in circumstances that may be considered hazardous. In an advisory posted on social media, urged people to drive when absolutely required during the rainy season and switch to their low-beam headlights during bouts of poor visibility.
The Ministry of Interior also emphasized to motorists to be more careful when facing difficult weather and provided a list of fines that would be imposed on those who do not comply with the rules, which includes:
- Dh1,000 fine and six black points for gathering near flooded valleys and dams.
- Dh1,000 fine, four black points, and 60-day vehicle impoundment for obstructing emergency workers during rainy weather.
- Dh2,000 fine, 23 black points, and 60-day impoundment of the vehicle for entering flooded valleys.
