Stormy weather in UAE: Residents wake up to damaged cars, uprooted trees

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Torrential rain hit several parts of the UAE early on Thursday, with residents in some areas experiencing flooding and even hail. In Ras Al Khaimah, rain poured steadily in the early hours of Thursday morning. 

Resident Soni Salim said she woke up with a start due to the sound of the thunderstorm. “It was really heavy thunderstorm and rain,” she said. “I woke up to the sound of objects flying away due to the heavy rain. By the time I was awake, water had seeped into my house through the windows and the main door. My bedroom, the hall and the children's room all had water all over the floor.”

RAK police sent out an alert to residents on their mobile phones, warning them about the changing weather conditions, heavy rain and strong winds. Authorities cautioned people to be careful around ponds and streams. 

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The social media account of Storm.ae showed hailstones in some parts of the emirate as well. 

Umm Al Quwain residents also experienced steady rain in the morning. “The rain continued to fall steadily since Fajr (early morning prayers) where I live in the Al Hadeetha area,” said Umm Ahmed. “It stopped after a few hours. Luckily the roads were not too bad, and my son left for work.”

UAE weatherman Mohammed Sajjad took to social media to share videos of the downpour in UAQ and parts of Sharjah. The video showed dark clouds gathering and rain battering down, causing water ponds on the roads.  

Another RAK resident, Suwish Araham, said the impact of the storm became clear only after daybreak, when people stepped outside and surveyed their surroundings.

“In the morning, we noticed that a few cars had been damaged,” he said. “Some vehicles were hit by falling tree branches and debris during the night. It all happened suddenly, so most people had no idea until they came out in the morning.”

He added that the damage was not limited to vehicles alone. In some areas, footpaths were littered with broken branches, while parking spaces were partially blocked by debris that had been blown or washed down by water and and winds. A few cars parked close to trees and along residential pathways appeared to have borne the brunt of the impact, he said.

Abdul Rahim, a grocer in Ras Al Khaimah, said waterlogging on a few roads has made commuting difficult for residents and affected daily business activity in some areas.

“Water is clogged on a few roads, and it has made the commute a bit difficult,” he said. “Some business establishments have remained closed because water has seeped into their shops. They are waiting for the water on roads to recede before reopening.”

He added that while the rain had eased by morning, the after-effects of the overnight downpour were still being felt across neighbourhoods, particularly in low-lying commercial areas.

In parts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, residents reported cloudy weather and light drizzle. Unstable weather conditions are expected to continue in the country as a period of low-pressure system has developed over the Middle East. The thunderstorm is expected to intensify on Thursday and continue until Friday.