Duststorms, rain lash several parts of UAE

Like a chameleon, the weather kept changing its patterns on Sunday. First, there was a sliver of sunshine emanating from the clouds. Then, without warning, in the afternoon, Sharjah was enveloped in a thick pall of dust as sandstorms started pounding the emirate; then rain started battering parts of not just Sharjah but other emirates as well. There was rainfall also in the northern emirates of Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and the hilly areas of Sharjah. For its part, the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology dismissed rumours of impending hurricanes and floods in the UAE. The inclement weather, a usual occurrence during the transition to winter, is expected to continue for the next few days, met office sources said in Sharjah. Sharjah airport recorded the highest rain of this season — 17 mm - on Monday, airport met sources said. The maximum temperature was also 32?C. Wind speeds were 30 knots and visibility, at the peak of the dusty wind, was 1,000 metres, it said. By the afternoon, the sky became darker and strong duststorms started hitting the coastal areas of Sharjah. It was akin to a rainy winter day. However, the weather was cool and soothing for the residents who eagerly look forward to winter. Traffic was less on Sunday. The centre emphasised that the country is under the influence of unstable weather conditions, leading to different degrees of intensity of rain over parts of the UAE. The centre warned against clubbing in the Arabian and Oman Gulf waters and staying away from valleys and taking precautions against flash floods on high roads. The centre forecast fair weather for Monday and Tuesday, partly cloudy at times over some north-easterly areas by noon. There would be slight to moderate winds. Meanwhile, the NCMS denied rumours attributed to the US Navy "about the existence of hurricanes and floods across the UAE,” adding they were ‘exaggerations.' Any news spread through social media in this regard should be directed to the centre for confirmation, it said. Source: The Gulf Today