There is a chance of scattered light to moderate showers over some northern and eastern areas at night and into Tuesday morning…reports Asian Lite News
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has released the weather forecast for the upcoming week, spanning Monday, April 22nd to Friday, April 26th, predicting light-to-moderate rains over some regions of the country.
There is a chance of scattered light to moderate showers over some northern and eastern areas at night and into Tuesday morning, and a rise in temperatures is expected.
On Tuesday, the potential for rain increases, with light to moderate showers expected, particularly over the eastern areas.
On Wednesday, NCM predicts partly cloudy skies with a slight possibility of light rain over the far northeastern parts of the country around noon. This day may also see a drop in temperatures.
On Thursday, partly cloudy conditions are expected, transitioning to cloudy skies at times in the afternoon across the far northern and eastern regions. There is a chance of light rain in these areas as well.
On Friday, the forecast suggests the formation of convective clouds towards the east, with a possibility of rainfall over the mountains during the afternoon.
The National Centre of Meteorology said it’s closely monitoring the weather situation and will provide further updates as needed, advising people to stay tuned for any potential changes in the forecast.
Containing future weather events
Hassan Al Mansoori, Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI), highlighted that the UAE has proved highly effective in dealing with the consequences of the extreme weather conditions that it experienced last week.
He further noted that the proactive and swift response of various concerned entities has contributed to protecting people’s lives and properties and expediting recovery time, as service facilities, such as roads, bridges, and dams, went back to operation in record time.
Al Mansoori added that following President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s order to study the condition of infrastructure throughout the country to better understand the damages and improve future responses, MoEI joined forces with its partners to form an on-ground force that immediately started to review and assess the damages caused by the intense rainfall.
“The workforce will prepare a complete study on the need to expand dams and waterways so they are ready for and can contain future extreme weather events. Moreover, it will prepare an integrated operational plan to repair the damage caused to federal roads and take proactive measures to ensure the continuity of the roads’ rainwater drainage network. In addition, MoEI is about to follow a proactive plan to maintain water pump stations on federal roads to ensure their preparedness,” he continued.
The Ministry, he said, has put in place integrated plans and schemes for immediate and swift response to emergencies to ensure the safety of people and protect properties and infrastructure.
Free destruction certificates
Brigadier Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, has announced that vehicle destruction certificates are now available at no cost for all individuals affected by weather-related damage in Sharjah. These certificates can be obtained through the official channels of Sharjah Police.
Al Shamsi highlighted the availability of destruction certificates for cars damaged by weather through the “Sharjah Police Smart App” and their website, aiming to support efforts and ease burdens during these exceptional circumstances.
He emphasised that field teams, in collaboration with all the concerned parties, are working to ensure residential stability and provide extensive assistance to affected families to bring back normalcy in all cities of the Emirate of Sharjah.
Sharjah extends online learning
The local Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Team in Sharjah has decided to extend the distance learning system for private schools in the emirate tomorrow, Monday, 22nd April, to ensure the readiness of schools and surrounding areas to receive students and teaching staff after the recent weather conditions that the country experienced.
The decision comes in order to maintain public safety and the state of alert and readiness to tackle the effects of the weather situation and continuing measures to maintain public safety.
Climate change
Several climate change and weather experts have affirmed that the intense and unprecedented rainfall experienced in the UAE on 16th April is indicative of the severe and exceptional climate shifts occurring globally due to the rise in record carbon emissions, emphasising that this extreme rainfall event cannot be scientifically attributed to artificial cloud seeding.
On 16th April, the UAE experienced the most substantial rainfall in its modern history across numerous regions, marking the largest volume since climate data recording began in 1949.
In this regard, Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist, and Head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (ENGEOS) Lab at Khalifa University, said in statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the extreme weather conditions that the UAE has witnessed in mid-April 2024 are exceptional in terms of severity and widespread impacts. “The amount of rain that fell on the 16th is unprecedented and is equivalent to the amount of rain the UAE receives in 2 years or the amount London receives in 7 months on average.”
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