Tropical storm Shaheen: Rains in UAE; dust storm alert issued

Dubai - Winds with top speeds of 55kmph will kick up dust in some areas, affecting visibility till 3pm today.

The UAE’s weather bureau has reported light to moderate rains over multiple areas on Monday as cyclone Shaheen was downgraded to a tropical storm.

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The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) also reported that visibility has been affected in multiple areas as high-speed winds kicked up dust.

Horizontal visibility reduced to less than 500 metres in Al Ain’s Gasyoura. The NCM also issued a code yellow dust storm alert for some areas:

Winds with top speeds of 55kmph will kick up dust in some areas, affecting visibility till 3pm today, October 4.

The NCM reported rains in several parts of Al Ain. Light rains were also reported in Hatta (Dubai), Dubai – Al Ain Road and Muzairah (Ajman).

Social media handle Storm_Centre posted a video of rain hitting Al Ain:

The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, meanwhile, has issued an important tip for driving during a sandstorm:

UAE on full alert as 'Shaheen' hits region

The UAE is on full alert to mitigate the impact of the storm. As precautionary measures, schools and universities in some areas in the UAE went online; a park was shut; and construction sites in Al Ain were secured and work fully stopped.

The storm was expected to weaken before it hit the UAE’s eastern coast. The NCM issued a code red alert off the eastern coast, warning of 10-foot waves off-shore and wind speeds of 50kmph. The alert, which was issued at 5.25pm on Sunday, will remain till Monday evening.

• Dubai
• Fujairah
• Sharjah
• Abu Dhabi