Latest: Year and a half's rain recorded in three days in the UAE
The UAE awoke in 2022 to a wild start, as high winds and lashing rain swept across the country in the early hours of Saturday.
The heavy showers fell over large parts of the country, stretching from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah and Al Ain, starting before sunrise and lasting well over an hour in some areas.
Around a year's worth of rain - 99.2mm - fell in Saih Al Salam in Dubai, which is home to Al Qudra Lakes, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa, in the first eight and a half hours of 2022.
Parts of Abu Dhabi city received up to 22mm, while an area of Dubai received 49.5mm of rain.
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Carissa, 6, left, and her sister Danica Rodrigues, 5, feed seagulls on New Year’s Day on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Dark clouds gather over Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
New Year’s Day brought cool weather and cloudy skies to the UAE capital. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Cool weather and cloudy skies along the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
The Marina Eye Ferris wheel and Fairmont Marina hotel from behind a billboard along the Corniche. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Feeding seagulls on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A cloudy start to the new year in the capital. Tim Knowles / The National -
Seagulls gather along Abu Dhabi Corniche. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Abu Dhabi from on high. Tim Knowles / The National -
New Year’s Day in the UAE capital. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Cloudy skies and windy weather greet visitors at the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A man uses an umbrella in Al Quoz, a largely industrial area of Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Heavy rain caused roads to become flooded in parts of Al Quoz. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A road sign advises motorists to ‘Slow down, watch for water ponds’ on a highway in Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
A tree felled by the extreme weather lies in Al Quoz, Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Roads in Al Quoz remained slippery. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
During a typical January in the Emirates, about 10 millimetres of rainfall on average. And over the course of an average year, the UAE can see up to 100mm of rain.
Forecasters at the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) issued a warning about “rainy convective clouds” over scattered areas in the north, east and on the coast. These were associated with fresh winds, blowing dust and sand, and rough seas.
The alert is in force until 10pm on Saturday.
Weather satellites show large areas of rain, which is heavy in some parts, with lightning. Other areas in the region have been affected, including parts of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
More to come
More rain is expected to sweep in to the UAE from the Arabian Gulf over the coming days, according to a forecaster at NCM.
Another weather system is expected to approach the UAE from the north on Monday and Tuesday.
And it could bring even more rain than the band which swept through the country overnight.
"We expect more rain in the next few days. Especially on Monday to Tuesday," said the forecaster.
That could affect almost the entire country, he said.
"It will be over scattered areas.
"But still we have a good chance of seeing more today and tomorrow over a scattered area because of this trough."
Residents in Abu Dhabi took to social media to comment they had never seen rain like it, as the bad weather triggered apartment fire alarms and scattered garden toys and furniture.
“Never seen anything like that in here … it’s been going on for more than an hour. House is totally flooded, starting to get scary right now,” wrote one member of the Abu Dhabi Q&A Facebook page.
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The rain comes down at the beach in Dubai. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The rain comes down in Jumeirah, Dubai -
Puddles and umbrellas in Discovery Gardens in Dubai, after a 45-minute deluge on Friday morning -
Pedestrians run for cover as rain falls on New Year's Eve in Dubai. City residents were woken by thunder and lightning in the early hours -
A delivery motorcyclist negotiates the rain-slicked roads of Dubai. Police warned road users to be extra vigilant in the wet conditions -
A pedestrian seeks shelter under an umbrella in Dubai. Another front of rain is forecast to arrive around 11pm on New Year's Eve, with Abu Dhabi set to experience several hours of rain -
Further rain is forecast across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates on Monday and Tuesday – with up to 40 millimetres in isolated areas -
There was isolated flooding in low-lying areas in Dubai, including Discovery Gardens -
Dubai bus passengers are glad to get out of the rain -
Rain clouds loom on the horizon over Discovery Gardens -
A pedestrian is caught out in the rain at Discovery Gardens
Wild weather is uncommon but not unheard of in the UAE.
In October, parts of the country were hit by Cyclone Shaheen, which was accompanied by winds of up 110 kilometres an hour after it made landfall in Oman.
In January 2020, the UAE also experienced a bout of heavy rain, which swept through the region.
During a typical January in the Emirates, about 10 millimetres of rainfall on average.
