Abu Dhabi: Municipal response teams in the capital received a total of 836 calls about debris, waterlogging and other structural damage caused by Wednesday’s thunderstorm.

Nearly 80 per cent of the cases have so far been resolved, and the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City also evacuated an Emirati family in Bani Yas whose home had been damaged, it announced in a statement on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the extent of property damage has not yet been ascertained, but a senior insurance expert who wished to remain anonymous told Gulf News it could be up to Dh50 million.

“A specialised committee of informed experts must look into the type and amount of damage sustained and come up with a value. It could take upwards of a week to record and calculate this,” he added.

Coastal and remote locations in Abu Dhabi bore the brunt of Wednesday’s thunderstorms, which were at their peak between 11:30am and 2pm on Wednesday. Heavy rains also lashed the emirate earlier at about 3am.

Windows were shattered in buildings along the Corniche Road that adjoins Abu Dhabi’s public beaches. Many offices in the nearby Khalifa Street were also affected, and construction sites along Mina Road saw much damage.

Hundreds of trees were also uprooted on the Corniche Road and Khaleej Al Arabi Street, blocking certain sections on Wednesday afternoon. In addition, traffic lights experienced power outages, worsening traffic congestion along Zayed the First and Hamdan Streets.

Outside the capital, the highways towards Dubai were bumper-to-bumper till night-time, and stretches below bridges remained waterlogged and risky. In addition, homes in suburbs like Bani Yas and Mohammad Bin Zayed City, as well as in the Western Region, experienced flooding

A senior official also said that the iconic ball structure atop the Etisalat building next to Futouh Al Khair Centre had moved due to strong winds. The parking lot behind Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street has therefore been closed temporarily while maintenance work is undertaken over the next few days.

Vehicle damage was widespread across the city, mainly as a result of broken windows and other debris falling onto cars parked near buildings and trees or under sunshades.

Mohammad Ehsan, a budget supervisor of an insurance company in Abu Dhabi, said that vehicle insurance policies do not normally cover damage from natural disasters, known as "Act of God" for insurance purposes.

“If insurance companies do pay out such claims, it is on a discretionary basis and as gestures of goodwill,” he explained.

Ehsan added that homes and properties in the Abu Dhabi market are also under insured.

“People generally assume they are safe. But yesterday’s events spelt the worst property damage in more than a decade, and they highlight the importance of getting insurance for homes and their contents,” he explained.