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29 March 2024

UAE rain impact: Dubai Police record 704 accidents

Published
By Staff and Wam

The unstable weather in the UAE is expected to improve today [Thursday], according to a national weather bureau forecast.

However, eastern and the northern areas will see scattered rainfall, reported NCMS.

Fresh winds will blow over reducing temperatures to a minimum of 8 degree centigrade in mountainous regions and 9 degrees C in internal areas.

The maximum temperature will be just 26 degree C in internal areas.

Relative humidity, meanwhile, will soar to a high of 99 per cent in coastal areas.

Thursday will also see partly cloudy skies accompanied by light rain.

Dubai Police receive 5,722 calls, record 704 accidents

Brigadier Omar Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Director of the command and control center at the General Directorate of Operations at Dubai Police, said that the operations centre received 5,722 phone calls between 21:00 on Tuesday and 1pm on Wednesday, Mohammad Al Sadafy reports.

Police recorded 704 traffic accidents ranging from simple to medium because of rainfall and vagaries of the weather.

Brigadier Omar Al Shamsi called on drivers to exercise caution, warning that rules and regulations must be adhered to during the rain, fog and wind carrying sand affecting visibility.

EARLIER STORIES:

Commuters across the UAE, having braved dangerous conditions and traffic delays due to accidents, all related to the intense wet spell the country is going through, will get no respite on the drive home.

Dubai Police have also tweeted a warnin about water pools forming, especialli on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed road from Dubai and on Al Ain Bridge to Global village.

The NCMS storm weather forecast is holding firm for the rest of the day and going into the evening and early tomorrow morning as well.

The rain will continue, but tomorrow, the added hazard of blowing dust/sand reducing horizontal visibility can be expected.

The NCMS has issued a warning for the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of ​​Oman - as no-go areas because of extremely rough weather today.

 

Heavy rain shuts down Global Village on Wednesday

Global Village will be closed today due to bad weather.

The announcement was made through a poster, tweeted by the official handle of Dubai Police.

“#Attention : #UAE #Dubai #police #GlobalVillage,” it tweeted.

The poster read, “Attention: For your safety please note that the Global Village will be closed due to a change in weather.”

Earlier in the day, they tweeted, “In case you see any dangerous water pools, please inform us.”

For Readers' pictures click to see: On a cloudy UAE day... Readers catch the rain

Many areas in the emirate have been flooded due to the heavy rain, and long traffic snarls reported as residents make their journey home.

The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) forecast for the day and for tomorrow (Thursday) shows no respite from the stormy weather.

1,040 calls on rain until noon: Abu Dhabi Police

The Operations Room at Abu Dhabi Police 1,040 calls regarding rainfall from morning until noon. Of these, 816 tips were received in Abu Dhabi and 224 in Al Ain, Mohammad Al Sadafy reports.

On Tuesday 2,156 calls were received -- 1,828 in Abu Dhabi and 328 in Al Ain.

Lt. Col. Ali Moftah Aryani, Head of Department of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police, urged motorists to support the initiative of traffic safety during extreme weather.

It call son motorists to drive carefully, reduce speed in cases of rain or fog and maintain safety and the safety of road users.

 

Sharjah Police asks public to be cautious
 
General Command of Sharjah Police have stepped up their efforts to protect drivers and road users and members of the public, and enhance safety on the roads, through the deployment of traffic patrols and patrols on internal and external roads in Sharjah, Mohammad Al Sadafy reports.

Efforts also include securing access of students to their schools, and to ensure the smooth flow of traffic during rainfall.

Colonel Sultan Abdullah Al Khayal, director of media relations, called on drivers and members of the public to pay attention to risks that are caused by extreme weather, and to take caution while driving and follow weather forecasts, issued by the meteorological stations the state and comply with the instructions, which are issued to them by the competent authorities and not to go out to the sea or wilderness areas without relyingto these guidelines and instructions.

He said the central operations room of Sharjah Police has been linked with direct programs transmitted via Sharjah TV, in order to inform the public about climatic conditions, and the measures taken by the security forces in order to avoid congestion, and the smooth flow of traffic.
 
He said there has been no major accident. Minor incidents have been dealt with.
 

Morning traffic hit by rain

The forecast of the National Centre for Seismology and Metereology (NCMS) came to bear overnight as rain lashed the UAE – with Dubai and Sharjah in particular experiencing strong winds and a drop in temperatures to accompany the heavy rain.

The NCMS confirmed that entire country was in the grip of a wet spell, tweeting this morning: "Rain moderate to heavy in most areas of the state."

Wam reported showers at Madinat Zayed in the Western Region and in Liwa yesterday, with more rain forecast.

For the best rain pictures click to see: When it rains and thunders in UAE

The effect of the rain which continued into the morning was already being felt on traffic with Dubai Police tweeting: “An accident has been reported on SZR after the ninth bridge towards Abu Dhabi, please be extra cautious.”

Dubai Police also reported an early morning accident on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road from Al Warqa bride toward the vegetable market.

Traffic congestion and delays after Al Shahama Bridge inbound Abu Dhabi, were reported but Abu Dhabi Police tweeted at 7.50am:"Traffic is back to normal."

The NCMS forecast for the day and for tomorrow (Thursday) shows no respite from the stormy weather. "Unstable weather still prevails, associated with rain, lightning and thunder, with hail at times.

"Fresh to strong winds in general, causing blowing dust and reduce the horizontal visibility. Sea is rough to very rough," the forecast read.

Dubai government agences were active early on social media raising the danger levels for road conditions and tweeting safety advice and reminders.

The RTA tweeted: "Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it – you could be swept right off the road", and added, "Increase your following distance and watch for brake lights ahead."

Dubai Police also tweeted: "Dear driver, reduce speed during heavy rain to avoid sudden sliding of your vehicle."

Do you have a great rain picture to share? Mail it to us at news@emirates247.com with your full name, time and location of the picture, and we just might carry it.

Only, be sure NOT to take the picture or attempt taking it while you are driving. All pics here are not taken by the person driving the vehicle. Be safe!

Urgent measures to help rain-affected people

Mariam bint Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs, has directed workers in the Social Security Administration and the offices of Social Affairs in the UAE to take urgent measures to aid those affected by the current rains.

Al Roumi pointed out that under Social Security Act No. 02 of 2001 and Cabinet Decision No. 22 of 2001 on relief aid in cases of calamities, public and private grants can be made to give emergency relief for families and individuals to help them cope with calamities and disasters, and went on to say that public, private and ministry staff are working hard to provide relief for those families and individuals when needed.

She added that the ministry is keen to maintain the security and stability of the family and provide all the care needed.

Click to read: Showers, lightning, hailstorms expected across UAE