Heavy rains hit Dubai, Al Ain, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and some other parts of UAE on Sunday, flooding streets in Kalba areas.
The weather department has sounded the alarm and asked residents to be cautious while out near the sea. "It is not advisable to go swimming or venture out to the mountains till Monday.
The weather conditions are very unstable and we are closely monitoring the situation," said a forecaster.
According to the NCMS, it will be increasingly cloudy over most areas of the country, with more convective clouds, associated with rainfall of different intensity at scattered places. Moderate to fresh winds will blow, which may cause rising dust.
The centre also warned of rough to very rough sea in the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea during this period.
Taking into account the looming rains and storm, the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police said it has stepped up its preparations for emergency situations due to the expected weather fluctuations.
The Abu Dhabi Police confirmed its readiness to receive all emergency calls to its control centres in Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra and Al Ain, in normal or exceptional circumstances.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said it is liaising with all concerned authorities, including police and municipalities, to manage the situation. The authority also has put in place an action plan for evacuation of residents and aid supply, in case of a crisis.
Weather is playing spoilsport this weekend as many residents are putting off their outing plans as storm and rain alert looms.
The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) has predicted unstable weather across the UAE, with chances of rain and thunderstorms, between December 15 and 18.
Many families said they are heeding to the forecast, and called off picnics and off road adventures.
"My family is on visit from India and we were planning to go for a desert drive on Saturday. We cancelled it thinking the weather will be too dangerous to venture out," said Abdul Rahman, an Abu Dhabi resident.
Shamma Hussain and her friends were all set for a hiking adventure at Jabal Jais mountain in Ras Al Khaimah on Saturday, but the weather alert ruined their plans as well.
"We are a group of eight friends and we have been planning this trip for a while. But after reading about the unstable weather reports, we had no choice but to cancel the plan. Ras Al Khaimah could get pounded by heavy rains, and we thought it is not worth taking a chance," said Hussain, a university student from Jordan.
Corporate events and birthday parties have also taken a hit due to the stormy weather. "We are seriously concerned about the weather forecast as we are hosting an outdoor party for more than 600 clients in Dubai on Sunday," an official from a private bank said. "We are thinking of calling it off. You are talking about a few hundred thousand dirhams down the drain," said the bank official.
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