More than 1,000 labourers were displaced after heavy rain in Abu Dhabi flooded their camp, the country’s crisis management authority said yesterday.
Accidents were also reported across the Western Region of Abu Dhabi but no one was killed, according to the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority.
“We received a number of reports of casualties in Al Sila, Ghuwaifat and Delma Island,” said Col Jumaa Al Dahmani, acting head of Civil Defence in Abu Dhabi. “They were mainly simple accidents.”
Two Asian men were severely injured in Al Ruwais and transferred by police ambulance to hospital.
Also in Al Ruwais, more than 1,000 employees of Zublin Construction were displaced, and parts of the motorway to Abu Dhabi were knee-deep in water.
In Al Sila, two police patrols were involved in road accidents, while on Delma Island some houses and traffic signs were damaged and trees fell across roads.
Col Al Dahmani warned people against travelling to wadis during periods of heavy rain, saying that doing so could prove fatal.
“During heavy rain and floods, if people take a wrong path inside a valley they are trapped by the surrounding water,” he said.
He also warned against visiting wide open areas in case they were struck by lightning.
“Avoid the beach and sea and do not [get distracted by] taking photos or videos of the weather using mobile phones,” he said. “Commit to speed limits to avoid skidding and report any accidents to 999.”
On Delma Island 190 millimetres of rain fell today – the most since November 2006.
Col Al Dahmani said authorities worked quickly to fix the damage and that there had been no need to evacuate residents from Delma.
“The current weather instability is a result of low pressure coming from the west, accompanied by strong winds that exceeded 100kph in some areas of the country,” said Dr Jamal Al Housani, Ncema’s spokesman.
He urged the public to check for early warnings and guidance on the authority’s website, www.ncema.gov.ae
Sixty-four drainage machines have been sent to areas across the country, while emergency officials in each emirate have met to plan their responses.
The Western Region’s emergency squads said they had cleared more than 60 per cent of fallen trees, including 45 trees on the road from Al Sila to the Saudi Arabian border, four trees in Al Sila Park and 10 more trees in residential areas. In Ghayathi, a palm tree was removed from the main road.
Jasim Al Mazrui, acting director of the Ncema office in the Western Region, said a comprehensive emergency plan had been put into operation and that all municipality departments were on call around the clock.
The rain affected even the justice system, preventing inmates at Al Wathba prison from attending court hearings.
Mohammed Al Abri, at the National Centre for Meterology and Seismology, dismissed rumours that a tornado was heading for the country.
“Tornadoes come from the sea and what we are experiencing now is a result of low pressure from the north-west meeting low pressure from the Red Sea.”
Rain and high winds hit Al Gharbia before moving to the capital. Inclement weather is expected across the country until Saturday.
hdajani@thenational.ae
