UAE wakes up to rain, snow and more!
Several offices in the Middle East country stayed closed on Monday, Feb 12 due to harsh weather conditions with more instability due.
Inclement weather has literally taken the United Arab Emirates by storm. Residents in the emirate of Dubai and the country capital of Abu Dabhi 130 km away, were in for a rattling surprise on the morning of Monday, Feb 12.
Yes, they awoke to torrential downpours accompanied by thunderbolts, flashes of lightning and strong winds. But that’s not all. Roads, roofs, yards and flat public areas were blanketed with hail stones that descended with much intensity and noise.
Best to Stay off the Roads
Water logging, slippery roads and relentless strong rain have brought these busy hubs and most of the other emirates to a grinding halt. As per predictions by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), winds have been varying between 35 and 70 km/hour while blowing sand and dust has reduced visibility considerably.
Though the severity of the weather has reduced to some degree over the course of the day, conditions are still unfavourable for regular inner and intra-city travel.
Response and Safety
With the Met department issuing yellow, amber and red alerts for various zones across the UAE, some establishments and offices have encouraged employees to stay off the streets and work from home. These include universities, private schools and nurseries, thanks to the timely intervention of Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). However, those residents who require attendance at the workplace have been taking their chances in the outdoors. But they have been following advisories from the Interior Ministry to reduce driving speed and avoiding rain-drenched roads.
Measures and Reasons
The Interior Ministry has also been taking various measures for readiness and preparedness for possible hazards brought on by weather instability. This, it has been doing by disseminating updates via the media and encouraging the public to desist from rumour-mongering. Due to turbulence in the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea, UAE’s beaches are advisedly off-limits for the moment. So what exactly is responsible for the dramatic onset of this dangerous scenario? Westerly air currents, a cold and pervasive air mass and an upper air depression are the apparent reasons.
What’s in Store Tomorrow?
The forecast for Tuesday, Feb 13, looks more promising. There is most likely to be a drop in temperature, but much lower precipitation. Scattered but mild rain showers with the accompanying cloudiness are expected as well as less humidity. But the Met authorities warn of a considerable amount of fog and mist while winds are expected to waver between 25 and 40 km/hour. Residents across the country will have to hold onto their hats till the coast (and weather) clears.
