UAE: Shocking images show shops and vehicles submerged by floods
Over the past few days, parts of the UAE have received over twice the country’s typical annual rainfall. The highest was in Fujairah Port where 234.9 mm fell from 10.30pm Monday to 9.18 am Thursday.
Heavy rains lashed the streets of the United Arab Emirates this week leading to flash floods and inundated streets, with local police and emergency services officials working to rescue hundreds of stranded citizens. 870 people were rescued, 3,897 were evacuated, and there were 20 weather warnings between July 23 and July 28, including 70 alerts on social media. On Wednesday weather officials said July was the wettest month in over three decades.
The UAE’s meteorological service issued a red alert due to ‘hazardous weather occurrences’ predicted to continue over the next few days, and said convective clouds may cause rains to fall ‘eastward and may extend over some internal and southern areas.’
Images shared by the UAE’s interior ministry show people – locals and tourists – being guided to safety by police and other authorities.
One of the images showed a man carrying a child on his shoulders through what looks like a river – but is actually a flooded street. Another image shared by a reporter for The National, Joyce Karam, shows flooded streets in Kalba market in Fujairah city.
Floods also damaged roads and roadways and forced people to take shelter in hotels after their homes were inundated. Fujairah authorities have warned hotels against raising room rates.
Over 50 buses have been mobilised in the past 24 hours to carry people to safety and more than 100 volunteers have been working to help clean up debris.
A spokesman for the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCM) said the adverse weather was caused by a bout of upper and surface air depression from northern India through southern Pakistan heading towards the UAE, which resulted in heavy rain.
