Abu Dhabi rainstorm sets social media abuzz

Residents shared spectacular images and video footage as the skies turned dark

It doesn't happen very often, so when the UAE does experience some adverse weather its residents are quick to capture the moment.

And the wait was over on Sunday evening when a storm packing heavy rain, lightning and high winds came blowing through the capital, prompting a message from Abu Dhabi Police advising people to stay indoors.

Residents grabbed their phones and cameras and took the opportunity for some spectacular snaps of nature at its most forceful — as seen in the video below captured by 12-year-old Harrison Allan at Al Reef.

Here's a round-up of the best across social media, starting with a fantastic image of the storm approaching the Abu Dhabi coast:

And then it arrived...

The bad weather also extended to Dubai. Here Gabrielle Moore captured the commute home on the E11:

The wild conditions brought back memories for those who were in Abu Dhabi in March 2016, when what became known as the "Great Storm" came barrelling in.

On that occasion, wind speeds reached 126 kilometres per hour at Al Bateen Airport, trees were uprooted, windows in high rise buildings smashed and debris littered the streets.

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