Dubai: More rain is expected on Sunday morning after heavy rain, lightning and thunder struck some parts of the UAE on Saturday, a National Meteorology Centre (NMC) spokesperson told Gulf News.
On Saturday, while some parts of the UAE basked in sunlight, other areas were lashed by hail, sending excited residents to visit the spots and share videos on social media. Hail fell in some parts of Ras Al Khaimah; there were also reports of hail in parts of Fujairah, mainly in Dibba.
In some of the videos on social media, the brown sand dunes can be seen transformed into white meadows of hail, with residents wading almost knee-deep into the hail in some places. Other clips show close-ups of visitors scooping up the hail and throwing it around. Four-wheelers making a crunching sound as they traverse over the fields of hail.
Hail is not common in the UAE, but does visit the country from time to time. Earlier this year, in March, hail took residents in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah by surprise. Also, in January, large hailstones hit the UAE’s highest mountain, Jebel Jais, also located in Ras Al Khaimah.
Temperatures on Saturday ranged between lows of 15 degree Celsius and 20C and around highs of 22C to 29C.
Though some parts may not receive rain on Sunday, the forecast in general is for increased chances of more showers over more areas, the NMC spokesperson told Gulf News.
On Saturday afternoon, heavy rain fell in Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Jebel Jais — the UAE’s highest mountain — and Dibba Al Fujairah, the NMC tweeted, sharing videos of streets turning into streams.
In Al Hamra, Umm Al Ashtan and Ruwais (Al Dhafra Region), there was moderate to heavy rain. Around noon on Saturday, there were light showers in Dibba and Khor Fakkan.
According to Saturday’s NMC weather advisory showing the UAE map, parts of the northern and southern extremities were coded orange to “be on the alert; hazardous weather events are forecast. Comply with advice issued by the authorities”.
The NMC spokesperson said the unstable weather conditions that began on Saturday will continue into Sunday.
Ebrahim Al Jarwan, general supervisor at Sharjah Planetarium, told Gulf News more rain and unstable weather are expected in the UAE till dawn on Tuesday.
The peak of a low-pressure system, which is behind the inclement weather, began on Saturday and will bring more clouds and rain over parts of the country, mainly on mountains and islands. The northern and eastern regions and islands of the country will be affected, according to Al Jarwan.
The low pressure centralised in the southeast of the Arabian Gulf and affected the UAE and Oman, Al Jarwan said.
The rainy season typically lasts from mid-December till mid-February, he added, and during this period, every 10 to 14 days, a low pressure system will form cover the country.
Temperatures have been steadily declining with the onset of winter recently, with more cloudy and windy weather experienced over the past few days. There was even a storm warning for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, but the weather didn’t turn for the worst eventually.
