Watch: UAE skies hit by giant 'dust devil'

Video of the weather phenomenon was widely shared on social media

Footage of what appeared to be a giant “dust devil” swirling alongside a road in Ras Al Khaimah has been shared online.

Released by Storm Centre, a popular social media account tracking UAE weather, the video shows a whirlwind spinning high into the sky, with a tree uprooted on the roadside in the Kadra area of the emirate.

Dust devils form in sunny conditions with a swirling updraft and very rarely reach anywhere near the intensity of a tornado.

The National Centre of Meteorology on Thursday clarified that the footage was of a landspout, adding that it is “different from a tornado and is not classified as a dangerous weather phenomenon”.

“A tornado usually forms due to a rotating upward current inside a thunderstorm, while a landspout forms when the thunderstorm is in its developing stage. As a result, the landspout is weak and lasts for a short period, and is sometimes accompanied by strong winds that lift dust and sand into the air,” the UAE weather bureau added.

“The landspout is similar to a waterspout, as both form from the ground (or water) up to the cloud.”

The NCM added it is “difficult to detect landspouts with radar because they are low, small in size, and weak in intensity”, adding that they “rely on public reports to record their occurrence”.

Not an uncommon phenomenon

Dust devils are not uncommon in the Emirates and also occur in other parts of the world. In August, dust devils stunned onlookers in Essex and Cambridgeshire, in the East of England.

According to the Met Office in the UK, although they resemble mini-tornadoes, dust devils are nowhere near as destructive. They travel across the ground and often pick up loose debris along the way, typically lasting for only a few minutes.

The UAE sighting came amid a bout of unstable weather in the Northern Emirates. The NCM earlier issued an alert over rainfall expected until 8pm. Heavy rain and hail were recorded in many parts of the Northern Emirates.