Rare hail storm pounds Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman

Dubai: A rare hail storm pounded parts of Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman on Friday night, forcing some residents hanging out to run to run for cover as pea-sized pieces of ice started peppering them for an intense few minutes.

“It's the first time I experienced this kind of hail storm in the eight years I’ve been here in Dubai,” said an Asian resident of Abu Hail.

“I was swimming in the pool on our building’s rooftop with friends at around 9pm, and I thought someone was pelting us with pebbles,” he added. The hailstorm forced many to a safer ground.

“I was walking on the road with my children when the hailstorm suddenly came," said a father of two. "We had to run for some cover because we’re not used to it -- and I thought it won’t stop anytime soon. But it’s nice to see this once in a while.”

The hailstorm was intense, but brief, said a resident of Al Zafrana Building in Deira.
Weathermen from National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) had reported on Thursday that an upper air cold mass hovered over the UAE.

Meanwhile, residents welcomed the moderate rains in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and parts of the northern emirates from around noon. 

The mercury dropped in the last two days of drizzling while blowing fine dust in certain areas affected visibility. 

Strong north-westerly wind generate high waves lashed the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

Doctors also advised people with breathing problems to stay indoors.
Weathermen had raised the red flag on fishermen, advising them stay away from the sea due to the inclement weather, since Wednesday night due to a surface trough coming in from the Red Sea area.

Cloudy, windy and dusty conditions spread across the emirates as forecasters repeated a severe weather warning.

Light rainfall was felt in Dubai, Sharjah, Al Hamra in the western region of Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Weathermen expect unstable weather over a huge swathe of the UAE, with a probability of rain clouds accumulation over the eastern mountain region.

This weather pattern was expected to remain until Sunday, with a drop in temperature likely to continue.