Dubai residents surprised by rain showers, more expected

Dubai - It's expected to rain again during the next two days.

Dubai residents were pleasantly surprised as moderate to heavy rain lashed parts of the emirate on Monday afternoon bringing down the mercury level from 37 to almost 27 degree celcius in some parts of Dubai.
Sofia Kulsoom and her friend who were driving towards Abu Dhabi witnessed unusual and erratic rainfall as they took Sheikh Zayed road towards Abu Dhabi. "We were out on a drive till the Last Exit to grab a coffee when suddenly the wind picked up and it suddenly started pouring. First it started to drizzle but after a minute we couldn't see the windscreen without using wipers. What was more surprising was that although we were on one straight road, we experienced rain showers in patches. It rained heavily in certain areas and then it would be a complete dry patch of the road and in the next. Also we felt the weather become much cooler than what it was when we started about an hour ago. The weather today was absolutely amazing."
Dubai resident Lubna Khan said when she started from her destination in Oud Metha, it was quite sunny but as she moved towards Dubai Silicon Oasis she experienced heavy downpour that lasted for seven to ten minutes. " All of a sudden a huge cloud formed and it began pouring heavily. I was on my way to pick up my daughters from school and I did get a bit of a traffic as certain areas in DSO were waterlogged leading to traffic snarls. However the dip in temperature was a great respite for us Dubai residents. Wish it continues until weekend so we can enjoy outings with our family and friends."
Kiran V. who works in JAFZA said: "There was heavy rain in JAFZA where I work. It was heavier than usual and I hear there was water logging around the Danube Metro station. Some roundabouts in the free zone were also flooded. Some rain water even entered my office building."
Al Barsha resident Jobby Mathews said the downpour took him by surprise. "It didn't inconvenience me per se since I was working from home but I could see minor traffic snarls in the bylanes of Al Barsha owing to some water logging. I love when it rains in Dubai as the city takes on a different hue altogether and looks and smells fresh."
Since Friday, the NCM has conducted 8 cloud seeding operations and the UAE dams have collected 6.7 million cubic meters from rainwater harvesting due to the heavy rains the country witnessed on Saturday and Sunday, said the Ministry of Energy and Industry. The UAE also witnessed heavy rains in the eastern, northern and central areas.
The ministry added that it's expected to rain again during the next two days, adding that technical teams opened the doors of the dams to let off some water, so they can receive more rainwater during the next days. The ministry urged all visitors of valleys and dams to act with caution and follow the safety directions.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, an NCM official said: "It's a similar pattern that the country experienced last year in the same month and residents can expect more such surprises in the coming week. The country remains under the effect of a surface low pressure system extension associated with a weak upper air trough. The convective and rainy clouds will continue to appear especially over northern and eastern areas. The thick cloud cover over the UAE is a result of low surface pressure which is deepening towards south east, and causing too much humidity over the Arabian sea developing. This is causing convective cloud formation towards the north and east. This clouds will gradually move from East and northern part of the UAE, towards Dubai and Al Ain area causing heavy rains between Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai. Tomorrow the low pressure is expected to gradually move towards south side of UAE."
At the Mall of Emirates, shoppers were evacuated after a power cut as heavy rain poured outside. The mall management issued a statement blaming it on a technical glitch.
The statement said: "Earlier today, Mall of Emirates faced a temporary power outage due to a technical issue. Standard procedures were followed to ensure the safety of visitors and tenants. The matter was resolved immediately and business is as usual at the mall. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to both our tenants and visitors."
saman@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai