Dubai - Many residents hit the roads, hoping to catch some showers, during the Eid break.
Rains lashed parts of the UAE on the first two days of Eid Al Adha, with more forecast for Thursday, July 22. The first day of Eid saw rains accompanied by lightning and thunder.
Taking advantage of the rain respite during the ongoing long Eid Al Adha break, many residents hit the roads, hoping to catch some showers.
Overall, this week has been good for the UAE when it comes to rainfall. Different parts of the country received rains throughout the week, leaving behind picturesque scenes of gushing wadis (valleys) and rocky, desert terrains coming alive with greenery.
Police advisory amid unstable weather conditions
On Wednesday, July 21, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) issued a code yellow notice (‘be on the lookout when venturing outdoors’) till 6pm over convective clouds it detected in parts of the country:
Rains hit the country early on the day. Before the clock struck 12pm, these areas had registered medium to light rains: Abu Dhabi’s airport, Yas Island, Mohamed Bin Zayed City and Al Khaleej Al Arabi Road; Al Ain’s Ain Al Faydah; Sharjah International Airport and the Umm Al Quwain - Ajman Road.
UAE weather-chronicling social media handle Storm Centre posted a video showing heavy rains in Sharjah and Ajman:
Rainy Eid
On the first day of Eid (Tuesday), the NCM reported rains in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region; Al Ain; Dibba (Fujairah); Ras Al Khaimah’s Jebel Jais and Wadi Al Beeh; Khor Fakkan; Ajman and Umm Al Quwain.
The NCM also tweeted a video showing an intense thunderstorm over the Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain:
More rains tomorrow
The NCM has forecast more rains for tomorrow. It predicted a partly cloudy weather and a hazy day.
There is a “chance of convective clouds formation over some Eastern and Southern areas (that) may be associated with rainfall”.
Temperatures would increase gradually, with winds expected to kick up dust.
Green trail
The rains earlier this week were so intense that they created water streams gushing past green trees.
This video below was taken in Ras Al Khaimah’s Dagdaga on Sunday, July 18:
Showers amid the peak UAE summer happen, thanks to the country’s rain enhancement efforts.
The NCM earlier explained to Khaleej Times that cloud seeding triggers rainfall across the country.
The weather forecaster said the rain-bearing capacity of convective clouds in the eastern direction was also enhanced by cloud seeding.
Dr. Ahmed Habib from the NCM said that during summer, the country experiences monsoon low pressure from India, which, typically, raises temperatures, especially in the eastern parts of the country amid growing formation of convective cloud that triggers rainfall.
sahim@khaleejtimes.com