Heavy rain swept over parts of the UAE's Northern Emirates at the weekend, causing floods in the mountainous regions. Videos of water gushing over roads and falling from mountains on to major motorways were shared on social media. The National Centre of Meteorology also posted videos on Twitter of rain falling along the new Khor Fakkan road in Sharjah. Rain also fell on Wadi Al Ashwani in Fujairah and in mountainous areas in Ras Al Khaimah. Wadis quickly filled with water in several parts of the country and Kalba in Sharjah appeared to be one of the hardest hit by the unstable weather. Videos showed motorists carefully making their way through flooded roads. Water was also seen cascading down from mountainous areas onto roads and open areas in the different Emirates. Winds reached up to 45kph in exposed areas, causing blowing dust and sand which led to reduced visibility on the roads. The weather bureau issued an alert asking people to stay away from flooded areas and be careful when driving. “Precautions should be taken in case of heavy rain over some eastern areas and residents are advised to stay away from areas [prone to] flash floods and accumulated rain,” it said on Twitter. The downpours continued throughout the rest of the weekend but eased up by late Saturday evening. The convective clouds that formed throughout Saturday and caused heavy rain had cleared by Sunday due to light winds passing through the Emirates. Flash flooding is common in northern parts of the Emirates and police always advise residents avoid driving near wadis during treacherous weather. When it rains across the UAE, rescue teams are quick to attend to those stuck in dire situations. Members of search and rescue teams - which are often made up of police officers, Air Wing units and members of the Armed Forces - spend hours, and sometimes days, intensively looking for those washed away by floods. Staff from the local municipalities also work day and night to clear water from badly flooded areas.
