Latest: High winds cause sandstorm to descend on Abu Dhabi
Parts of Sharjah were hit by heavy rain and hail on Sunday, with more wet weather expected across the country next week.
Footage released by the National Centre of Meteorology showed pools of water forming on roads amid gloomy skies.
The weather centre had issued an alert earlier in the day warning of possible rainfall in some eastern areas between 2pm and 7pm.
The NCM released videos of rainfall on Twitter, accompanied by a cloud-seeding hashtag.
The UAE regularly conducts cloud-seeding missions to induce rainfall in an effort to boost the country's water security and counter its dry climate.
Temperatures have been steadily rising across the country in recent weeks as summer approaches.
But there is the prospect of further rainfall in the days ahead.
The NCM's five-day bulletin states there is a chance of more rain from Monday to Thursday, in eastern, western and coastal areas.
The UAE experienced a dry 2021, even by its own standards, but had a soggy start to 2022.
About a year’s worth of rain — 99.2 millimetres — fell in Saih Al Salam in Dubai, which includes Al Qudra Lakes, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, in the first eight and a half hours of the year.
Ringing in 2022 with rain in UAE - in pictures
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A rainbow at Expo 2020 Dubai on a cloudy, rainy day for much of the country from Abu Dhabi city to the Northern Emirates on Sunday, January 16. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A worker shelters beneath an umbrella in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Downtown Dubai awoke to rain. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Showers in Jumeirah, Dubai, made a day at the beach unappetising. Ruel Pableo for The National -
Cyclists brave the weather in Deira. Ruel Pableo for The National -
A car park in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Showers in Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning. Victor Besa / The National -
Police urged drivers to take care on the roads as rain fell across the UAE. Victor Besa / The National -
Temperatures were expected to reach a maximum of 26°C in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Rain on Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Showers fell on various parts of Abu Dhabi before sunrise. Victor Besa / The National -
People make their way to work during the rain on Sunday morning. Victor Besa / The National -
Forecasters said it would rain throughout the day. Victor Besa / The National -
It has been an exceptionally wet start to 2022 for the UAE, with more than 18 months' worth of rain falling in only a few days earlier in the month. Victor Besa / The National -
Almost the entire Abu Dhabi emirate was blanketed in dense fog at the weekend. Victor Besa / The National -
People make their way on a street in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
A man crosses a road in the capital. Victor Besa / The National -
Many people were wearing warm clothes, as chilly temperatures accompanied the rains. Victor Besa / The National -
A man rides an electric bike in the rain. Victor Besa / The National -
Women make their way amid the rains. Victor Besa / The National -
An almost deserted beach in Abu Dhabi during the wet weather. Victor Besa / The National
