Dark and drenched: More rain forecast, events cancelled

Due to heavy rains across the Emirate on Thursday morning, and to be on the safe side, the Dubai Air Show which was supposed to have ended last evening, was called off.

An e-mail from the organisers advised people against travelling to the site.

Schools across the UAE remained shut and the Global Village announced that the park will remain closed due to unpredictable weather. The decision was made based on consultations with the Civil Defence and the Dubai Police and in accordance with the National Centre of Weather Forecast.

A walkathon for diabetes, slated to be held this morning at Zabeel Park, has been pushed back to December 6.

In Abu Dhabi, the downpour started at 6am. Thursday’s showers are being seen as the heaviest rainfall in the capital city and its suburbs in 18 months.

The skies over Abu Dhabi City and its immediate suburbs developed clouds at midnight with a sudden and heavy pour in the early hours after the Fajr prayer call. The sky remained overcast and it drizzled throughout the day.

Most of the streets were flooded and where there wasn’t a flood, people were seen enjoying the weather. Some ventured out into the desert to enjoy the sand dunes, the fragrance of the rain and picnic, particularly in the Khatam area on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Highway which saw the strongest rain in the vicinity.

The western parts of the UAE have been under a thick cloud cover for the past three days. Ghantoot saw the heaviest rain on the stretch with the seas being rough.

Arfan Ahmed Al Houthi, a resident of Ghantoot, said: “The rain was very heavy, and there were strong winds. But there were no damages. It all started early in the morning. The rain started with strong winds which soon subsidised. The rest of the day was pleasant. This is the fourth time I am seeing such weather here in the last 10 years.”

The entire oasis city of Al Ain and its remote areas also witnessed strong winds and heavy downpour flooding most of the roads in Al Rowdha and Seih Miah.

“It is my second experience of such heavy rain since I came here about seven years ago. It rained really heavily, but all of us enjoyed it. The temperatures dropped and the sand dunes looked beautiful with no dust or sand blowing,” said Abdul Malek.

 

Lightening strikes worker

A Pakistani worker who was out in the desert was allegedly hit by lightening and had to be hospitalised. “The worker, an employee of a private company, was out in the desert turning off a diesel-engine water pump for irrigation when lightening hit him,” said Mohammed Ismail a supervisor on a nearby farm. “Almost half of his body was burnt. We called the nearest civil defence station in Al Khazna that sent an ambulance with paramedics. He was taken to Mafraq Hospital in a critical condition, but friends say he is out of danger.”

On the Western front, rain and strong winds uprooted trees in Tarif, Abu Al Abbyadh, Jebel Dhana, Sir Bani Yas, Sila’a and Delma Islands. Some remote areas like Sila’a also witnessed hailstorm, according to residents.

 “Apart from a few trees falling, there were no life and property damage. It was a pleasure to see the rain after more than a year. I have never seen such rainy weather,” said Mohammed Al Amani.

Liwa, the country’s biggest oasis also witnessed similar weather conditions with heavy rain starting early morning and continuing the whole day. However, there were no strong winds. Ghulam Rasul Baloch, long-time farmer in Liwa, said: “We are lucky the rain came after the date-ripping season, which ended in the beginning of October. If the rain had come during the date-ripping season, it would have destroyed the whole harvest.”

— news@khaleejtimes.com