Dubai: Umbrellas unfurled, thunder sounded like drums booming across the sky, raindrops pattered down in rhythmic streaks, puddles reflected the lightning - the UAE awoke to an unexpected melody this week, a chorus of raindrops painting the country's landscape in shades of silver.
In Abu Dhabi and Dubai, residents woke up to sounds of thunder, lightning, and heavy rainfall, early on Monday morning. Meanwhile, some parts of Abu Dhabi were covered in glistening layers of hail even before daybreak.
Moderate to heavy rain fell in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah till 9.30am.
The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) issued a red and amber alert, warning of continued wet weather until Tuesday, February 13. The weather is attributed to an upper air depression combined with a cold air mass over the country, and westerly air currents.
Some parts of Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah saw streams of rainwater being formed in the valleys.
Decrease in intensity of rainfall
A senior meteorologist at the NCM told Gulf News: "Rain was reported across the UAE today. Now it is raining in eastern parts of the UAE - like in Hatta and far north of Ras Al Khaimah. We can also see convective clouds over Abu Dhabi and Dubai. While there are more convective clouds expected to form, the intensity of rain will decrease across the UAE, by noon.
"There is chance of light scattered rainfall in some northern and eastern parts of the country tomorrow," he added.
As a result of the heavy rain, authorities in Dubai and across the UAE have advised remote work for private and public sectors, as well as online classes for schools. The UAE Cabinet declared a remote workday for all federal government employees on Monday, and similar directives were issued for Dubai government entities, federal higher education institutions, and private schools.
Temperatures to dip
Residents are urged to exercise caution in flood-prone areas and motorists advised to avoid hazardous driving conditions. Temperatures are expected to dip by 2 to 4°C across most of the country, with highs ranging from 20 to 25°C in coastal regions and lows between 15 to 19°C.
The lowest temperature recorded today was 7.6°C in Jais Mountains, it will dip below 5°C tonight, the NCM expert added.
The weather bureau also issued a weather safety alert, which read: “Precautions should be taken in case of heavy rain and strong winds associated with hail. It may cause microbursts and reduce horizontal visibility. [We advise you to] stay away from areas [prone to] flash floods.”
