Residents wakened by thunder and rain

Al Ain/ Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Late night thunder wakened residents of Ruwais in Abu Dhabi yesterday, but the cyclone in Myanmar has no connection with the unsettled weather, according to the Met Office.

The thundershowers were a result of cold air colliding with the above average surface temperature. Rahba on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi also experienced showers yesterday morning, residents said.

Dubai experienced brief showers early yesterday morning as commuters went to work.

The Dubai met office sent out a brief warning to sailors and those working offshore but everything cleared up quickly, said Dr S.K. Gupta, duty forecaster.

Bahrain and Doha earlier experienced thunder, said the forecaster.

The mercury rose past 40C according to Gupta. Dubai on Monday recorded 43C, Sharjah 44C and Abu Dhabi 43C.

"For 27 minutes early morning safety procedures were imposed at Abu Dhabi Airport but no flights were delayed or cancelled," a spokesperson said.

The safety procedures were imposed from 1.03 am to 1.30 am due to warnings of thunderstorms and lightning.

In Dubai visibility was good at 10 km and did not affect flights.

The rain was accompanied by gusty winds , said a meteorologist at the Abu Dhabi-based National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS).

"It was a sudden development," he said, adding that an atmospheric low pressure had developed over the UAE.

The pressure developed when the upper layer of cold air came down to 5,000 feet and met with the hot surface temperature. It was also added by the moisture-laden clouds that have been pushing in from southern Saudi Arabia.

Al Ain generally remained hot and dry with thick cloud hovering and occasional drizzle.

The unsettled weather conditions are expected to continue until tomorrow afternoon with intermittent rain in the western, southern and eastern areas of the country, according to the NCMS.

The Dubai Met office said gusty winds will blow across Dubai today and warned of hazy conditions.

A weatherman at NCMS said: "May is normally the driest month and the current development has surprised us."

The last time a thunderstorm hit the UAE in May was in 2005.

Rajesh Sunder, an Indian expatriate in Dubai, said the rain surprised him: "I am a driver and saw pouring rain in some areas, while it was just a drizzle in other places."

Abdul Kabeer Khan, a resident of Abu Dhabi, said the city remained dry until midday but some surrounding areas had showers.