UAE warns of stagnant water risks after heavy rain

Dubai: The UAE is expected to experience periods of unstable spring weather until early May, a seasonal pattern locally known as “Sarayat” or “Marawih”, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.

Al Jarwan said the transitional spring period between mid-March and early May is typically marked by rapid and recurring weather fluctuations, including thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and fast-developing convective clouds.

He clarified that these weather disturbances can form quickly, sometimes producing intense thunderclouds and heavy downpours within short periods. The UAE may also be affected by a regional cloud belt extending from central and eastern Africa across the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabian Gulf, bringing rain accompanied by thunder and lightning.

According to Al Khaleej newspaper, Al Jarwan said the UAE and wider Gulf region began to feel the effects of an active low-pressure system towards the end of March, bringing scattered cloud cover, rainfall and occasional thunderstorms between 21 and 27 March.

He added that similar spring systems have produced record rainfall in recent years, pointing to a deep low-pressure system between 8 and 10 March 2024 that brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, as well as severe rainfall between 14 and 17 April 2024, when precipitation exceeded 200mm in several areas.