Dubai: Heavy rains lashed most parts of UAE on Monday, leading to water logging in low-lying areas.
Water logging, car breakdowns and minor accidents made driving miserable for most early-morning motorists. “It was pouring when I started from Al Nahda, Dubai. The rain started sometime after midnight,” said John Abraham, a Dubai resident.
“The situation completely changed when I reached Garhoud bridge. There was not even a drop of water on Shaikh Zayed Road after the bridge towards Dubai,” Abraham added.
Motorists complained of traffic bottlenecks due to water logging at Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road, Al Ittihad Road from Sharjah to Dubai, some parts of Ajman and Abu Dhabi.
Sharjah residents seem to be the worst hit. “My car is almost immersed in water,” said a resident. Residents of Abu Shagara and industrial areas in Sharjah said they can’t step out of their homes as roads are filled with rain water.
“Many drivers were up to their usual stunts even during rain and when the roads are slippery. When will these people learn?” wondered Mohammad Rauf, a Sharjah resident who started as early as 6.30 am to reach office at 8am. “I managed to reach by 7.30am.”
The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology forecasts partly cloudy weather in general, especially over the western, coastal, northern areas, and the islands, with chance of occasional rainfall from time to time.
Motorists have been urged to take extra caution.
The centre also warns of strong winds. The sea is rough in general, it says. Windy weather is to be expected, said a forecaster, who extended a warning to those planning boat trips.
There were showers on Sunday, with a weather station in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah recording a total of 1.4 millimetres of rainfall until 4pm.
Temperatures have dipped to as low as 5 degree Celsius in the mountains, and 11 and 15 degree Celsius in the internal and coastal areas respectively, according to the weather centre.
