The Expo area in Dubai registered the highest amount of rainfall over the weekend, as per the UAE’s weather department.
Dr Ahmed Habib from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) told Khaleej Times on Monday, “The Expo area in Dubai recorded 65.8mm of rainfall, which was the highest rainfall received in Dubai. This is an area (in Dubai) where the rainfall measured this year has exceeded that of previous years.”
The Friday downpour in the country resulted in widespread disruption, with heavy rain and thunder affecting various areas. This led to closures of roads and even cancellations of flights.
Many other areas in the country received more than 50mm of rainfall including Ras Al Khaimah and Umm al Quwain.
A video shared by Storm Centre shows an overflowing wadi in Ras Al Khaimah.
Deira in Dubai experienced intense rainfall and the Mohammad Bin Zayed Road and Al Soora areas in the emirate experienced moderate rainfall. Light to moderate rain was also recorded in Jumeirah and the Sheikh Zayed road while going towards Jebel Ali.
In another video by Storm Centre, cars were seen stuck in traffic as heavy rains poured over the weekend.
“Over the weekend, not only Dubai but even other emirates saw heavy rainfall. This includes the emirate of Sharjah where the Airport received heavy rainfall as well as Ras Al Khaimah and Umm al Quwain which simultaneously logged heavy rainfall over this period,” he continued.
The weather agency explained that over the next few days this week, the winds are expected to shift from light to moderate, originating from the Southeast to the Northeast and then turning North before gaining strength notably, when clouds appear.
This might lead to blowing dust and sand, with speeds ranging between 15 to 30 kilometres per hour, occasionally reaching 40 km/hr.
“The country will continue to witness convective cloud formation that is associated with rainfall over some areas. These include coastal, Northern, and Eastern areas,” added Habib.
The veteran weather forecaster reiterates this is also the result of several successful cloud-seeding missions that have been taking place across the country.
“Cloud seeding missions in the UAE have been continuous. This technique potentially enhances precipitation in clouds that are already sufficiently developed. But natural weather patterns and conditions also play a significant role in determining the amount and intensity of rainfall. There’s existing cloud cover over the country causing rainfall, while the cloud-seeding efforts have undeniably amplified the amount of precipitation the country is experiencing.”
When does winter begin?
Shedding light on the onset of winter in the UAE which occurs around 100 days after the Suhail star’s appearance in August, Habib explains this it falls in the third week of December.
This marks the onset of the coldest period, as temperatures decrease notably and winter’s grasp tightens.
“We are still experiencing the Autumn season, after that Winter season will commence on 21 December. Both Autumn and Winter seasons in the UAE witness rainfall all the way till March. During this phase, the country is affected by an extension of surface low pressure along with a jet stream (narrow bands of strong wind that generally blow across the globe) from the West.”