Pre-summer showers lash UAE, more rain expected

Dubai - People expressed their joy as they got a relief from the onset of summer.

Residents across the UAE woke up to a rainy morning on Tuesday and keep those umbrellas, as light to moderate rains are expected today as well.
When it rained heavily in Ras Al Khaimah, thunder storms hit Fujairah, Sharjah, Al Ain and adjoining areas while it rained moderately in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other parts of the UAE on Tuesday.

Residents, some armed with umbrellas, queue up to enter a bus in Sharjah's Al Nahda area on Tuesday morning. According to the Met office, these rains signal the transition of winter to summer
People expressed their joy as they got a relief from the onset of summer. Minor accidents were also reported from different parts of the country on Tuesday.
Mercury dips in Capital
Like in Dubai, Abu Dhabi residents also woke up to cool temperatures. Moderate rains were received on Abu Dhabi Island while Gharbia and other parts of the western region were hit by heavy showers.
On Tuesday morning, Abu Dhabi Traffic Police warned people on twitter about the delays after an accident was reported at 6.50am on Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road Exit 30 heading towards Abu Dhabi before Saniya Bridge. Another accident was reported on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street near Zayed Sports City at 9am and had caused slow moving traffic.

Employees use their jackets to protect themselves from rain as
they head to their office on Abu Dhabi's Salam Street
"It has been hot over the past two days but I was surprised to wake up this morning to rains," said Egyptian expat, Mohammed Hassan, who resides in Mohammed bin Zayed City.
"I had to carry my jacket and rushed to work before 7.30am to avoid traffic jams caused by traffic."
Another resident, Joan Kerran, a South African said: "I love the rain. It makes me happy to see it raining again this morning as I thought we had gone back to hot temperatures already."
About 10 millilitres of rain was recorded across Abu Dhabi by 10am on Tuesday, according to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology NCMS in Abu Dhabi.

Dubai's skyline is engulfed by rain clouds. The rainy weather is expected to continue today due to heavy cloud formations, according to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology
In Dubai, 160 traffic accidents were reported due to changing weather condition. The command and control room of the Dubai Police which registered the accidents between 12 midnight and 8am has also received 1,423 calls. In Sharjah, a serious accident happened in Al Dhaid- Sharjah road caused massive congestion across the emirate.
Lightning and thunder in RAK
Meanwhile, the heavy showers in RAK have left big ponds of water, mainly at the deep valleys and mountainous areas, such as the Jebel Jais - the highest peak in the UAE - and Wadi Ghalila.
Abdullah Alshemeili, an Emirati, told Khaleej Times that the heavy rains did not come to a stop for long hours. "The lightning is seen and thunder is heard everywhere."
Most of the parts hit with rain are the Ghalila and Dahan areas, he added. "The streets are flooded with water, and it's so hard for young children to go out of their homes to school."
Mohammed Nassir said the Seeh roundabout and many other roundabouts have been flooded with rain water. "The bodies concerned should suck out the accumulated water to prevent any traffic disruption."
The traffic lights on the Al Muntasir intersection stopped working because of the heavy showers, according to Emirati Ahmed Hamdan. "The RAK Police, immediately rushed to the site to control traffic and fix the problem in collaboration with the technicians of the department of public works and services here."
From winter to summer
In a series of tweets, NCMS issued warnings to motorists to stay away from valley areas and to drive with caution in the rain.
"We always expect a change in weather during this period of the year. The spring period has begun and we are seeing a transition from winter to summer," said Dr Ahmed Habeeb, a meteorologist at the NCMS. "The spring period is characterised by variation in pressure system, which causes fast changes in the weather and climate."
Know today's weather before you leave home
According to weather forecast of the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) moderate rains are expected over the coast and in northern and eastern areas of the UAE today.
The temperature in Dubai is expected to fall up to 26 degrees Celsius and could see scattered rains due to heavy cloud formations.
"Today (Wednesday) the weather will again be partly cloudy, with cloud cover increasing gradually, leading to a chance of scattered rainfall. Moderate to fresh winds in general will become stronger at times, especially over the sea, causing blowing sand and dust and poor visibility over exposed areas. Sea will be rough in the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman," the NCMS said.
No picnics please, Dubai Police tell residents
Colonel Arif Ghareeb Al Shamsi, acting director of control room of the Dubai Police, warned residents from going for leisure trips as the weather remains unsteady.
He urged the motorists to be cautious as the country is witnessing a sudden change in weather conditions. He urged them to check the weather forecast before leaving home and plan their journey according to that.
He also urged motorists to abide by traffic laws and to take preventive measures in order to make the roads safer for all road users. He said that accidents take place during fog and rain due to low visibility and because of reckless driving. He said that the Dubai Police are patrolling roads to prevent congestions, organise traffic and intervene in case of an emergency.
Major Ahmed Atiq bu Rouqaiba, deputy director of rescue and search at the Dubai Police warned people not to go to sea and to abide by Dubai Municipality and Dubai Police instructions which ban swimming during high waves. He urged people to avoid valleys and leave spacing between cars while driving to avoid collisions.
He added that the Dubai Police are ready to deal with emergencies round the clock.
Accident causes block in Sharjah
An Asian man was seriously injured in an accident which took place In Al Dhaid- Sharjah road on Tuesday morning.
The accident caused massive congestion, which affected all roads in the emirate. The police said the accident was caused because of speeding in a wet and slippery road. The heavy truck which was driven by the Asian crashed with lighting pole installed in the road and turned over in the middle of the road, due to over speed. The police said when police received a call, traffic officers, patrols and ambulance rushed to the site and shifted the injured driver to the hospital where he is fighting for his life.
The police made great efforts to divert traffic to open the road to for traffic movement. Police urged public to drive cautiously during rain to avoid fatal accident, follow the rules and speed limit in the roads. Police said that this is the only serious accident caused due to the rains, but the rest all minor accidents occurred in various parts of the emirate. 
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com, reporters@khaleejtimes.com
Photos by Shihab, Ryan Lim, Leslie Pableo and Dhes Handumon