12.26 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Waterlogging in Dubai, Sharjah as rains and hailstorm hit UAE

Dhow Dela Tonga Dominado

Published
By Bindu Rai/Staff

Update: Heavy rains lashed Dubai, Sharjah and Northern Emirates on Wednesday evening with residents reporting water logging in different parts of the emirates.

There have been reports of water logging in Bur Dubai, Deira, Al Nahda and also other areas of Sharjah. Some parts of Dubai recorded hailstorm as well.

Motorists have been reporting that the traffic is either standstill or moving very slow on the major roads.

Fujairah and its surrounding areas and villages experienced torrential to medium rainfall today.

The rainfall ranged between medium and heavy, and was accompanied by lightning and thunder, causing a drop in temperature and increasing the water flow in the valleys. The sky is still cloudy which promises more rain in the coming hours.

Earlier, thunderstorms and hail lashed parts of UAE and Oman on Tuesday, with reports of waterlogging in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.

More rainfall is also forecast today, with the UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) warning of low visibility conditions in‎ Abu Dhabi and Dubai due to early morning fog.

At 5am, a shroud of fog had descended on Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai, with the capital's airport also affected with the same.

Dubai Police tweeted: "We request drivers to drive carefully and safely due to heavy fog on internal and external roads."

The Minhad air base also reported low visibility, according to NCMS update, along with Al Ain, Sweihan and Khalifa College.

Picture credit: Irshad Shaikh

Fog in Dubai this morning. (Bindu Rai)

Abu Dhabi Police issued a road warning on its official Twitter account at 6.30am, stating: "Low visibility due to fog formation on different parts in Abu Dhabi ‎and highways. Motorists are urged to take extra caution.‎"

Thunderstorms on the horizon

The UAE’s Storm Centre reported ice rain in the north on Tuesday, as Muharram Abro tweeted: "Very heavy rain with black clouds along with ice storm started in Fujairah."

Oman Meteorology also stated: "Radar images observe thundershower with hail over North and South al Batinah and Mountains of al Dhakiliah."

More rain is expected to sweep across the UAE on today (Wednesday), with low-pressure weather system expected to weaken by tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Fujairah, including Masafi and Dibba, are reporting severe waterlogging in the city, with overflowing wadis also seeing authorities issuing a warning for flash flooding.

Tuesday, Feb. 16

Rains lashed parts of the UAE on Tuesday afternoon, even as Mercury dipped.

A period of 'unstable weather' has swept across the country, with its effects expected to last over the next 24 hours.

Heavy rainfall has been recorded in parts of Khorfakkan, Sharjah, along with Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah earlier today (Tuesday), even as NCMS forecasts thunderstorms on the horizon.

‎According to NCMS spokesperson, a low-pressure system is moving in from the northeast, resulting in towering clouds and heavy rains in the northern part of UAE on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a marine alert also issued for fresh and strong winds over the Oman Sea.

Temperatures have also dipped in wake of the cold front moving in.

The weather system will also affect neighbouring Oman, which has prompted the country’s Met office to also issue a warning to its residents.

“An air trough from the northeast in the upper atmosphere will give rise to unstable weather from Tuesday evening, with a chance of thunderstorms in the northeast part of the UAE,” an NCMS spokesperson told Emirates 24|7 earlier.

“By Wednesday, the cloud cover will increase further, with the triangular area between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, along with the surrounding eastern inland region, also expected to experience rainfall.”

The NCMS has also stated its planes will remain on standby on Tuesday and Wednesday to facilitate the rainfall further with cloud seeding.