Heavy rains across Abu Dhabi Emirate

Extreme weather conditions across Abu Dhabi and its suburbs continue.

The enitre Abu Dhabi Emirate witnessed a synchronized heavy downpour starting at around6amcoupled with thunderstorm and lightening that sent a Pakistani worker to hospital in critical condition. It was also the heaviest rainfall for the capital city and its suburbs for almost about 18 months. The Emirate remained under thick clouds throughout the day with intermediate light to heavy rain, strong winds and some parts witnessing little hailstorm. According to reports reaching from different parts of the Emirate, the extreme west continued having cloudy weather for the last couple of days.

Abu Dhabi City and its Suburbs

The skies over Abu Dhabi City and its immediate suburbs started developing cloudsmidnightwith sudden heavy rain in the early hours after Fajr prayer call. Later the city witnessed from heavy to light rain and drizziling throughout the day.

Most of the streets in the capital city were flooded with water and people enjoying the pleasant rainy weather after a break of more than one and half year. Some people even opted for venturing out to the desert to enjoy the sand dunes rain fragrance and have lunch there, particularly in Khatam area on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Highway that saw the strongest rain in the vicinity.

Al Ghantoot

The entire Abu Dhabi-Dubai Highway was mostly flooded with water, particularly at Ghantoot that saw the heaviest rain on the stretch. The seas were also high and water flowing out to the mainland because of the rain and strong winds.

Arfan Ahmed Al Houthi, a resident of Ghantoot, said: “The rain was very heavy, and there were strong winds also. But there were no damages. It all started early in the morning, waking us up all. The rain started with strong winds but that soon subsidized. The rest of the day was all pleasant and beautiful. The sea also started calming down soon. This is the fourth such weather condition I have witnessed here during the last ten years.”

Al Ain

The entire Oasis City of Al Ain and its remote areas also witnessed strong winds and heavy downpour this morning, with Al Rowdha and Seih Miah having its most of the roads flooded with water, causing movement of traffic and the high sand dunes turned wet and red.

“It is my second experience of such heavy rain since I came here about seven years ago. It rained really heavy, but all of us enjoyed it. The temperature went so down that we had to go and grab our jacket to wear that we hardly do here. The roads were flooded, the high sand dunes were beautiful in dark golden and red colour and no dust or sand blowing,” said Abdul Malek.

Al Khazna and Al Yahar

The entire stretch of Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Highway, particularly Al Khazna and Al Yahar, also witnessed its heaviest rain over the years. The whole area was flooded with water flowing from the nearby sand dune beds. The area also witnessed strong winds, thunderstorm and lightening. The weather condition also caused an injury to a Pakistani worker when he was hit by a lightening.

“The Pakistani worker, an employee of a private company was out in the desert when a lightening hit him while he was about turn off a diesel-engine water pump for irrigation. Almost half of his body was burnt by the lightening. We called the nearest Civil Defence Station in Al Khazna that sent an ambulance with paramedics. He was taken to Mafraq Hospital in critical condition, but friends say he is out of danger and now started talking,” said Mohammed Ismail a nearby farm supervisor.

Al Gharbia (Western Region)

Al Gharbia has been under clouds for the last two days but light downpour in parts of it started at around6pm on Wednesdayand continued with moderate to heavy rainfall throughoutThursday.

The rains in Tarif, Abu Al Abbyadh, Jebel Dhana, Sir Bani Yas, Sila’a and Delma Islands were also coupled with strong winds that caused many trees uprooted. Some remote parts of the area, according to residents, particularly Sila’a witnessed hailstorm with people going out to collect the natural ice coming from the sky.

“Apart from a few trees falling, there were no life and property damages in this sudden rain. It was a pleasant weather to see rain after more than a year here. For me I have never seen such a great rainy weather. It was beautiful forcing most of the people of the area going out to open areas of flatlands and the desert to enjoy,” said Mohammed Al Amani.