The UAE’s east coast has been hammered by torrential rain and strong winds over the past few days.
Flash flooding occurred in parts of Sharjah’s Khor Fakkan on Wednesday with some families having to be rescued from their inundated homes.
The National Centre of Meteorology told The National this is the wettest July in the UAE since 1978. Most rain was recorded at a rain gauge in Fujairah Port, where 234.9 millimetres was recorded between 10.30pm on July 25 and 9.18am on Thursday, July 28.
The second highest was at Masafi ― 209.7mm ― with the third highest recorded at Fujairah Airport with 187.9mm.
Considering the UAE's annual rainfall is about 100mm a year, the statistics underline the intensity of the weather conditions.
What is causing the current weather?
Low pressure systems drifting across from India, which is experiencing annual monsoons, are bringing the unsettled weather.
The NCM forecast the unsettled weather last weekend and said on Thursday that similar conditions could be expected for the next few days, although probably not with the intensity seen on Wednesday.
“The general situation today [Thursday] is better,” an NCM forecaster said.
“The low pressure systems are slightly weaker with rainfall expected to be of less intensity,” he said.
“But we still have low pressure, convective clouds and a chance of rain across the country, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai.”
Is this normal?
Some rainfall and cloud cover is common every year during the summer ― especially in the east ― because of the monsoon systems. They bring moist air across the ocean to the Arabian Peninsula where it then hits the Hajar Mountains and sometimes causes rain.
This causes the “khareef” phenomenon in southern Oman, where summer rains turn the desert green, and occasional downpours in eastern UAE.
But the NCM said the rains this year are more intense than in previous years.
“This cycle started around July 25,” the NCM forecaster said. “It is normal to experience cloud and rain at this time of year but there is more this time.”
What is the role of the cloud-seeding programme?
The UAE’s cloud-seeding programme has been in operation since the 1990s. Planes are sent to fire salt flares at clouds in the hope of inducing more rain. Salt naturally attracts water.
Summer can be a good time for seeding, although the NCM said that seeding attempts only to enhance rainfall, not create downpours, and they do not operate in times of major storms.
“If clouds show signs of heavy rain, and those likely to cause floods, we do not undertake cloud-seeding operations,” Sufian Farrah, cloud-seeding specialist at the NCM, previously told The National.
UAE invests in flood defences
The government acted swiftly to help those in need and teams rescued families from flooded homes and provided emergency accommodation.
Authorities also previously announced key projects to safeguard against flooding. After storms swept across the UAE in January 2020, a UAE minister pledged Dh500 million of investment including dams and flyovers to reduce disruption caused by flooding.
Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, told the Federal National Council that several key projects were under way.
When will the unsettled conditions end?
The unsettled weather is expected to continue into next week at least. The NCM has forecast strong winds, dust clouds and a chance of rain until Monday.
“We expect a chance of rain over the next few days, especially in the east, as the low-pressure systems are still active,” the NCM forecaster said. “But we don’t anticipate falls of rain like yesterday."
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
More from Armen Sarkissian
Paris%20Agreement
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Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
More on Quran memorisation:
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
Company%20profile
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