Flash floods hit UAE after torrential downpours

Wadis surge with water after overnight storm in Northern Emirates

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Flash floods have hit parts of the Northern Emirates after a sudden storm deluged the area.

Videos posted online show wadis overflowing, some roads cut off and surges of water coursing through the valleys.

The downpours began on Friday and are forecast to continue into Sunday.

One video posted to Storm Centre, a popular UAE social media channel tracking weather, shows currents of water raging down a Ras Al Khaimah wadi bed set against the backdrop of the Hajjar Mountains.

Another shows a strong waterfall that developed overnight because of the rains.

The National Centre of Meteorology on Saturday said a low-pressure trough circulating around the north-east was to blame. More downpours are expected over the next 24 hours, it warned.

Authorities, meanwhile, strongly urged people not to venture unto wadi beds during times of uncertain weather.

Water surges in these beds can develop swiftly and strand people in a matter of seconds.

Contrary to some perceptions, downpours are common in eastern parts during the summer.

Rain-soaked monsoon clouds drift across from India and can hit the UAE.