UAE weather live: Emirates hit by severe storms
An Emirati man died during flash floods on Tuesday in Ras Al Khaimah amid record levels of rainfall across the UAE.
The citizen, who was in his 70s, was killed when his vehicle was swept away by strong currents during treacherous weather in Ras Al Khaimah.
Police said the man was attempting to travel through a flooded wadi as heavy rain battered the emirate.
Emergency response teams recovered his body.
The force issued condolences to the man's family and urged members of the public to remain indoors during the hazardous weather.
Record-setting rainfall
The UAE on Tuesday experienced its largest single day of rainfall in 75 years. The heavy rain caused widespread flooding, travel disruption and damage.
The National Centre of Meteorology said the volume of rain on Tuesday was the highest since official records began in 1949.
NCM data, which covered a 24-hour period until 9pm on Tuesday, showed a 254mm of rain fell in one area of Al Ain alone – the equivalent of about two years worth of average rainfall in the UAE.
The NCM said the persistent downpours were an “exceptional event in the UAE's climate history since the start of recording climate data”.
Travel disruption
The adverse weather led to flights being cancelled, delayed and diverted, roads being closed and the disruption of public transport services.
Dubai International Airport said on Wednesday morning a significant number of passengers have missed flights as severe flooding caused widespread travel disruption.
The major travel hub was forced to shut down operations for 25 minutes on Tuesday due to the adverse weather.
Roads leading to the airport remained blocked and flooded after a record day of rainfall in the Emirates.
“Due to road blockages and flooding, we're experiencing a high volume of guests unable to reach #DXB for their departing flights,” the airport said on X.
“We're working continuously to restore normal operations, and have also arranged refreshments for guests currently at the airport, where possible.”
Inbound flights to Dubai International Airport were diverted elsewhere on Tuesday night.
“We are temporarily diverting arriving flights this evening until the weather improves. Departures will continue to operate,” the airport said.
Dubai Airports said 17 flights were cancelled on Tuesday due to the weather.
On Wednesday, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority said traffic on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road, heading to Sharjah, had been diverted to Dubai-Al Ain Road, leading to Emirates Road.
The authority warned that Dubai Metro services are also facing further disruption.
“Due to the unstable weather and to ensure the sustainability of Dubai Metro operations and services, we would like to inform you that there will be maintenance work at the stations on the Red and Green lines on Wednesday, which will be affecting both the metro timings and stations,' the authority said on X.
“Please note that free shuttle bus services will be provided to metro users at specific stations on the Green and Red lines to ensure your arrival at your destinations.”
More rain but conditions to ease
Adverse conditions are expected to continue into Wednesday morning, with convective clouds that bring rainfall and lightning forming over coastal areas – particularly in the north and east of the country.
These are forecast to disperse by midday on Wednesday.
A yellow alert – warning of further rainfall – remains in place, largely in the Northern Emirates, until 6pm on Wednesday.
Further rain was recorded in the Northern Emirates on Wednesday morning, with the worst downpours in Ras Al Khaimah.
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
