Ras Al Khaimah was lashed by more than a year's worth of rain on Thursday and Friday as storms swept across the Emirates.
The National Centre of Meteorology said it recorded 127mm of rainfall in the Al Ghaznah area of the emirate over the two days.
Statistics from the weather bureau show that Ras Al Khaimah bore the brunt of the unstable conditions, which caused flooding on roads and in communities and widespread travel disruption
The port area of Mina Saqr had 123mm of rain, with the mountainous areas of Jebel Al Rahibah and Jebel Jais both hit by more than 115mm.
Storm Centre – a popular online weather tracking platform – shared video on Saturday of motorists on a heavily flooded road.
Ras Al Khaimah Police stepped up patrols in flood-risk areas in an effort to reduce the number of accidents in the hazardous weather.
Typically about 100mm of rain falls in the UAE annually, and this has dropped below 50mm during recent dry years.
The exception to this was in April 2024, when the country was battered by storms which brought the highest rainfall in 75 years. In Al Ain alone, 254mm fell – more than twice the annual average.
Clean-up campaign
A nationwide emergency response was launched to clear waterlogged roads and help mitigate the impact of the deluge.
Flights to and from Dubai and Sharjah were cancelled and delayed earlier on Friday after the country was lashed by heavy rain, thunder and lightning for a second day.
Emirates airline announced the suspension of 13 flights from Dubai International Airport on Friday.
Other early-morning flights from Dubai's main travel hub, operated by local and international carriers, were also grounded or faced delays.
Calm after the storm
Conditions are expected to ease in the days to come, but the Northern Emirates was set for more rainfall over the weekend.
The weather bureau's most recent five-day bulletin indicated a chance of rain in northern areas on Saturday and Sunday.
Cooler daytime temperatures can be expected as the UAE winter season begins, with highs of 23°C in Dubai and 21°C in Abu Dhabi forecast for Saturday.
The temperature is expected to hover around the mid-20s in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next week, dipping slightly in the Northern Emirates.
