It's raining ice in RAK

Ras Al Khaimah - Ras Al Khaimah's biggest hail in years leaves the valleys flooded.

Ras Al Khaimah resident Adnan Ukasha was out for a drive with his family to enjoy the pleasant weather, when large chunks of ice started pelting his car. The Jordanian was in the Wadi Qadaah area on Monday when the rain suddenly turned into hail.
"I always take my family out to enjoy the rain and fine weather. I usually go to the mountainous areas and valleys," said Ukasha.
Parts of the emirate saw the biggest hail in years.
Heavy showers lashed different parts of the emirate that left several roads and streets water-clogged. The RAK Police have partially shut the road leading to Jabal Jais - the highest mountain in the UAE - for the second day straight.
Amjad Al Saeed, an Egyptian resident here, said the Wadi Qadaah in Ras Al Khaimah witnessed hail on Sunday and Monday. "As the valley was flooded, the road leading to the UAE's biggest valley, Wadi Al Beeh, is flooded, too. Some vehicles, including 4WDs, developed engine problems and were stuck on the road," he said.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology, the UAE weather on Monday was partly cloudy in general, and cloudy at times over some areas.
Fresh northwesterly winds prevailed during the day in general, becoming strong at times over the sea, and causing rising dust with poor visibility over the exposed areas. Sea was rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf, and moderate to rough in the Oman Sea.
At the time of filing this report, moderate to heavy showers were expected over islands, coasts and western areas.
The mercury dipped considerably on the day, with the lowest recorded temperature touching 5.2°C in Jebel Mebreh - the second highest peak in the country - in Fujairah. The RAK Police have deployed additional patrols to maintain traffic flow and help vehicles stuck on rain-clogged roads.
Brigadier Ghanim Ahmed Ghanim, director-general of the central operations of RAK Police, said the police attended to 19 emergency cases. "These included two Emirati and Arab families whose vehicles broke down due to the accumulated water on roads." The vehicles stuck on flooded roads were towed away by the police's recovery vehicles, he added. Seafarers, beach and valleys goers, and motorists have been urged to exercise caution in the unsteady weather.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com