Rain in Hatta, Dubai
Rain in Hatta, Dubai Image Credit: NCM

Dubai: Heavy to moderate rainfall hit many eastern parts of the UAE on Thursday afternoon. Light showers were also reported in some parts of Al Ain and Dubai.

The Met Office issued a yellow and orange alert, indicating areas where rainy clouds had developed.

According to social media updates by the National Center of Meteorology, heavy to moderate rain was reported in Dubai's exclave Hatta and Sharjah's exclave Khorfakkan.

Other areas like Al Ain, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah, saw light to moderate rainfall.

An NCM official explained to Gulf News that a low-pressure weather system was causing convective clouds to form over the country along with strong winds.

Also called cumuliform clouds, they resemble stacks of cotton balls and form when warm, humid air rises through cooler surrounding air in the atmosphere. These clouds are perfect for cloud seeding, a process, which NCM uses to maximise rainfall in the country. The NCM Cloud Seeding Division usually monitors these clouds and dispatches cloud seeding flights.

The NCM also issued a safety alert for drivers using the roads during rainy weather. 

The senior NCM official said that light to moderate rainfall is also expected in scattered parts of the country tomorrow, April 14.