The announcement comes as a safety measure following the morning’s downpours…

Two weeks after the record rainfall and severe flooding, more unstable weather hit the UAE earlier today. Although authorities have stressed the rain and thunder will not be as dramatic as before, as a safety measure, Dubai Municipality has announced the temporary closure of all beaches, parks, and markets today, Thursday, May 2.

To ensure the safety of residents and citizens, schools have been instructed to offer distance learning while authorities urge public and private sector employees to work from home. Dubai Airports and Emirates airline have issued travel warnings for those planning to travel this week.

Dubai Miracle Garden also announced earlier that they will be closed to the public on Thursday, May 2, owing to the adverse weather conditions.

Public transport

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also said that the Intercity Bus services have been temporarily suspended. The other bus services are running although there is an expected delay on some routes. The Dubai Metro Green Line is operating as normal while the Red Line is operating in both directions without stopping at the following stations: ONPASSIVE, Equiti, Al Marsheq and Energy.

What’s the forecast for the rest of the week?

As per NCEMA, the moderate to heavy rainfall is expected from Wednesday night into Thursday, accompanied by the possibility of thunder and lightning. There may also be some hail, specifically over the western, coastal and some eastern regions of the UAE. By Friday, things look set to improve, and as we go into the weekend the clouds will decrease gradually, with a chance of light to moderate rainfall in certain areas, particularly in southern and eastern parts of the UAE.

As such, the Ministry of Interior has reaffirmed that precautionary measures are being taken to support response operations, with the authority adding that they are working to provide necessary resources in areas likely to be worst affected.

During the unstable weather, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure will constantly monitor the flow of rainwater and flash floods, pumping out water to alleviate pressure where required.

The NCEMA further emphasised that they will continue to monitor and evaluate the weather conditions, and the subsequent impact on all regions of the country.

Images: Getty