Emirati dies in RAK car crash as rains hit parts of UAE

Areas from Abu Dhabi to Muscat will be threatened by thunderstorms until Thursday

Women walk along the Abu Dhabi Breakwater with a skyline shrouded in fog as rain and wind swept parts of the country on Tuesday. Christopher Pike / The National

DUBAI // A man died in Ras Al Khaimah on Tuesday morning in one of several accidents as rain and wind swept parts of the country.

The 33-year-old Emirati’s vehicle crashed into a rock mass on Sheikh Khalifa Street in the emirate, at about 6am. He died on impact, said Brig Gen Ghanem Ahmed Ghanem, director general of RAK Police central operations, adding that 11 minor accidents were reported until noon on Tuesday.

Rain and thunderstorms will renew flood risks across the UAE and Oman this week, according to meteorologists. Areas from Abu Dhabi to Muscat will be threatened by thunderstorms until tomorrow, said Eric Leister from accuweather.com, with a possibility of floods.

“While these storms are not expected to pose a flooding threat compared with previous storms between March 7 and March 10, isolated flash flooding will be possible,” he said.

“The strongest storms across the UAE and north-west Oman will bring 13 millimetres to 25mm of rain, which can trigger flash flooding.”

Most of the unstable weather is expected to affect northern and eastern Oman. Scattered rain was reported across the UAE on Tuesday with unstable weather expected to continue until today, according to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology.

The rain started on Monday evening in Dubai, with a number of accidents reported on the E11 in the early hours of Tuesday.

Tailbacks, slow-moving traffic and congestion was reported on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road from Ajman to Dubai Silicon Oasis with bumper-to-bumper traffic on the E11 and Al Ittihad Road from Sharjah to Dubai, and Dubai Marina to the Dubai Creek.

An accident was reported on the E611 Emirates Road before the Maliha Road intersection towards Dubai, causing congestion and a slowdown of traffic.

There was a major accident on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road after the E66 Dubai-Al Ain junction towards Abu Dhabi causing massive congestion and delays. Another minor accident was reported on Sheikh Zayed Road near Jebel Ali.

Dubai Police tweeted: “During heavy rain and unclear vision, please stop in a safe place until the vision is clear enough to drive.”

RAK Police also urged motorists to focus on the roads and observe traffic regulations, warning beachgoers to avoid the coasts because of changing weather conditions.