Temperature drops significantly as heavy rain floods roads in UAE
- 22 Mar 2020
Cars navigate waterlogged roads in Sharjah. Haitham Al Khatim/Al Khaleej
The Emirate of Fujairah and the cities of the emirate of Sharjah witnessed moderate rain on Saturday morning, which resulted in a significant decrease in temperatures and waterlogging in the main roundabouts and streets.
The eastern regions have seen cloudy skies since early morning due to the effects of the depression, which resulted in moderate to light rain in all cities and regions on the eastern coast.
Fujairah Police General Command affirmed the rain fell on Saturday, causing minor accidents during and after the rain.
The police indicated that they deployed more patrols on the road to ensure public safety. The command, through social media, warned motorists to be very careful while driving on the streets, and not be negligent, adding this could endanger lives and property.
Earlier, light and heavy rain lashed different areas of the UAE on Friday. The rainfall started around 7pm on Thursday on Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Al Twain and Dibba in Fujairah.
Rain fell due to a surface air depression accompanied by a weak air depression in the upper atmosphere, which was expected to gradually deepen to reach its peak at the end of Saturday and Sunday.
The National Meteorological Centre (NMC) appealed to individuals to exercise caution while driving and to be careful of low horizontal visibility.
The NMC expected the Saturday weather to be cloudy with different degrees of rain in various areas of the UAE, sometimes accompanied by lightning and thunder.
The NMC also expected southeasterly to northeasterly moderate winds to blow, which would be strong with cumulative clouds, stirring dust and causing low horizontal visibility in exposed areas.
Winds, according to the NMC, were expected to blow at a speed ranging between 20 to 35 to 55 km/h.
The waves were expected to be turbulent to very turbulent, especially with cloud activity in the Arabian Gulf, and moderate to turbulent in the Sea of Oman.
The NMC indicated that Sunday’s weather would be partially cloudy in general, and rainfall was likely, especially in the north and east. The centre expected humidity to go up during the night and on Monday morning in some of the interior areas.
Moderate to active and dust-stirring winds were expected to blow southeasterly to northeasterly. These will turn northwesterly in the evening and at night.
The waves, according to the NMC, will be turbulent in the Arabian Gulf and moderate to turbulent in the Sea of Oman.
As for the Monday weather, the NMC expected it to be fairly cloudy, especially in the east, with possible light rain, in the morning.
Winds on Monday were expected to blow moderate-to-active northwest and active at times, stirring dust on open areas, with a speed ranging from 25 to 35 to 60 km/h.
The waves on Monday will be turbulent to the very turbulent in the Arabian Gulf.
Scattered parts in the country on Thursday witnessed light to heavy rain, which started at 9.46pm on Wednesday, on the Umm Al Sheif field, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Al Samha / Al Rahba in Abu Dhabi, Al Marfa’a Road - Ruwais - Habshan - Ghwwaifat in the Al Dhafra region, Mohammed Bin Zayed City Abu Dhabi, Al Shawamekh, Mussafah, Al Ajban, Seeh Shuaib, Baniyas District, Jebel Ali in Dubai, Al Arad and Umm Ghafa in Al Ain. This was reportedly a result of the country being affected by a surface air depression accompanied by a weak air depression in the upper atmosphere. The depression would gradually deepen to reach its peak at the on Saturday and Thursday, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).
The NCM appealed to individuals to exercise caution while driving during rainfall, as well as with low visibility. It also warned against going to the sea, which would be rough due to the active winds, which would also stir dust over open areas.
The weather on Friday was expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy at times with a chance of scattered rainfall. The waves would be moderate to rough, especially in the Arabian Gulf and in Oman Sea.
On Saturday, it was expected to be cloudy with rainfall of different intensity over scattered areas of the country, associated with lighting and thunder at times.