Flash floods delay motorists on east coast

Motorists held up after heavy rain near the east cost town of Kalba near the Oman border.

A flooded road near the town of Kalba.

Heavy rain and flash floods caused hold-ups for drivers yesterday near the east coast town of Kalba, which is near the border with Oman.

Water from the surrounding Hajar mountains rushed along wadis and surged across the Kalba to Sharjah road in the early afternoon, causing flooding at several points and washing mud, rocks and debris across the surface.

The worst delays were at the junction with the road to Hatta, where the floodwater formed a barrier 80 metres wide that, for a time, prevented any traffic from passing until the rain eased and the rush of water slowed.