Jetstreams bring thundersqualls, rain

High-speed jetstreams blowing over a low pressure area are the cause of the intermittent downpour that has drenched parts of the the UAE in the past three days.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms have been also reported from the remote Western Region areas and nearby islands. The Central Forecasting Office at the UAE Meteorology Department said yesterday a similar water-logged condition, combined with sand storms, would persist for the next couple of days, bringing more thundershowers and fog.

Weathermen said the current condition has been brought about by a low pressure belt over Southern Iran and the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The high-speed winds, called "jet streams", above the low pressure area helped in the formation of rain brought in by heavy clouds, believed to carry ice crystals.

Waqar-ul-Waheed Khan, a meteorologist, yesterday said the jet stream has played a major role in the formation of the current weather system in the region.

"These high-speed winds normally blow at 80 knots and at 30,000 to 35,000 feet above sea level. But at this time, their speed has touched 145 knots," he said.