Forecasters are expecting more downpours across the UAE as a period of "unstable weather" heralds the approach of winter.
The National Centre of Meteorology on Sunday said that Dubai could be hit by the rain from the low-pressure weather systems circulating around the country.
It comes as extreme weather – torrential downpours, dust devils and lightning – wreaked havoc across the country at the weekend.
The Northern Emirates bore the brunt of the weather, with rain lashing Fujairah, Dibba and Ras Al Khaimah, sending torrents of water through the streets.
More than 53 millimetres of water fell at Fujairah Port on Saturday, while 48mm was recorded at the airport. Gauges in Khor Fakkan, Masafi and Dhadnah also recorded double-digit rainfall.
“We had heavy rain on Friday and Saturday,” said an NCM forecaster. “We expect this to continue into Monday.”
Videos posted online showed waters raging through wadis, cars marooned by flash floods and even the sudden appearance of waterfalls.
But while the events may seem pretty extreme, forecasters say such unstable conditions are typical for this time of year as the country transitions into winter.
“This is common every October,” said the forecaster. “We had 10 days of rain at the same time last year.
“It is a transition period to the winter when the atmosphere is starting to change. Some days are stable but some are bad. It is unpredictable and low-pressure systems can sweep in from both the east and from the west.”
One weather phenomenon captured by the bureau at the weekend was the dust devil. These are part of the whirlwind family and are caused when hot air rising from the Earth's surface meets cooler air around it. As the hot air rises, it forms a vortex, pulling in more hot air until a spinning column is formed.
While dust devils can happen throughout the year, the bureau warned people to be on their guard over the next few days with rain, 45 kilometre-per-hour winds, dust clouds and rough conditions in the Arabian Gulf forecast.
In the first half of the year, scores of the country's residents commented on what they considered a bad winter full of cloudy skies and downpours.
What will happen over the next few months is anyone’s guess but wet winters are the norm, not the exception over the longer term.
So much rain fell in 1982, for example, that parts of Tourist Club in Abu Dhabi were called the "Lake District".
“The unstable weather will be with us for a few days, bringing convective clouds,” said the forecaster. “Especially in the east and north of the UAE.”
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
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Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
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