Rain collects in Sharjah during Saturday. Courtesy NCMS
Rain collects in Sharjah during Saturday. Courtesy NCMS
Rain collects in Sharjah during Saturday. Courtesy NCMS
Rain collects in Sharjah during Saturday. Courtesy NCMS

Summer rain hits Sharjah as videos capture downpours


Ian Oxborrow
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Heavy showers lashed parts of the UAE on Saturday, causing flooding in some of the Northern Emirates.

The National Center of Meteorology shared clips of the downpours on Twitter. It was the second time in successive days that the Northern Emirates have been affected by wet weather.

The bureau said heavy rain fell over Maliha, Al Madam, Al Falaj and Al Fayah in Sharjah, and warned that more showers were expected into the evening.

Surface water on the roads and associated spray made for tricky driving conditions. The Storm Centre social media account showed the rainwater running down hillsides and river-like conditions forming in wadis.

It was dry in Abu Dhabi, but skies were dusty with reduced visibility amid freshening winds and a rather toasty high of 45°C.

On Friday, parts of Sharjah experienced hail stones - some of which were seen in videos to be the size of golf balls.

The country's weather has been unsettled for the during the past week, with heavy rain in Ras Al Khaimah during the Eid Al Adha break.

The cause of this has been attributed to Monsoon conditions in India, whereby parts of the weather system can drift across the Indian Ocean.

The latest four-day forecast shows humid conditions expected on Sunday leading to mist and fog in the morning. Convective clouds could form during the afternoon, while temperatures should dip in the east.

Similar conditions are expected during Monday and Tuesday.

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