Almost like Groundhog Day, merely the sight of a grey cloud floating across the sky informs the residents of Dubai of one thing: tomorrow is a write-off. The streets are flooded. Cabs stop running. The government encourage people to work from home. And this morning many residents were awakened by howling thunder and lightning strikes throughout the Dubai sky, which began late Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning.
This is due to ‘low surface pressure’ and multiple waves of unstable weather blitzing through the country on Tuesday, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), with Abu Dhabi already experiencing a wind speed of 1,000km per hour. According to Dr Ahmed Habib of the NCM, there is a “possibility of hailstorm in places like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and other emirates,” with clouds expected to escalate over the next several hours. Yikes.
So, for now, here are the 8 wildest videos (some of which are from earlier rainfall in the city) we managed to compile showing just how gnarly Mother Nature can get.
Although the architects of Dubai clearly forgot to check off a functioning sewer system, at least the overall infrastructure is (relatively) impenetrable, which means that if you have wide windows you’ll be able to observe as the elements wreak havoc from the dry safety of your residence.
Perhaps put your moped ride on hold, at least until tomorrow.