There was thunder, lightning, rain and hail across the Emirates in the space of a few hours on Tuesday, with the country forecast to face a wet and windy week.
Hailstones fell in Al Ain, causing disruption on the roads. More showers are forecast throughout the week and storms are expected across the UAE this weekend.
Abu Dhabi Police issued a warning to motorists as heavy rain fell earlier on Tuesday.
An orange alert was issued by the National Centre of Meteorology for Abu Dhabi, with a yellow alert in place in Dubai and Fujairah.
The orange alert warned of hazardous conditions and urged drivers to comply with advice from authorities.
“Abu Dhabi Police call on motorists to exercise caution due to the rainy weather and to follow the changing speed limits displayed on electronic information boards,” police said on X.
Earlier on Tuesday, the NCM warned of “rain with different intensities with lightning and thunder over scattered areas of Abu Dhabi”.
Stranded in Al Ain
Al Ain was among the areas affected by the wet weather. Residents spoke to The National about the problems created for them by the heavy rain.
Samar Mahmoud, a tailor and fashion designer, was unable to meet her clients due to flooding outside her home.
“I am facing a problem with the flooding in front of my house,” said Ms Mahmoud.
“This affects my job because clients can’t come. If I had to go run a few errands to buy products from the market even it would be very challenging. To get a taxi I would have to get across the flooding to get to a pavement.
“My house is not equipped to handle such weather and it often gets flooded.”
Schools have also been affected by the adverse weather.
Rayan Ahmed, 17, who attends Manor Hall International School, went to class before authorities sent pupils home as the rain intensified throughout the morning. Other schools were also forced to close early.
“There was more traffic than usual trying to exit the school, there was a lot of rain in the street that required us to merge lanes,” he said.
Heavy rain falls in Abu Dhabi: in pictures
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A pupil gets carried to her school bus on a rainy morning at Khalifa City in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning. Photos: Victor Besa / The National -
Navigating the wet weather in Abu Dhabi's Khalifa City. -
An orange weather warning was issued in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. -
The wet weather is expected to continue until the weekend. -
School buses transport children in the rain. -
Motorists have been advised to take extra care by Abu Dhabi Police.
