Heavy rain, hail, thunder and lightning prompt fresh safety alerts from NCM and police

Dubai Police has urged motorists to “stay cautious, slow down, and avoid flooded roads” as unstable weather pushes across the country this evening, bringing bursts of heavy rain, hail, thunder and lightning to multiple emirates. The reminder follows a run of downpours from morning through late afternoon, with the heaviest falls reported over eastern areas and wadis seeing fast runoff.

According to the National Centre of Meteorology, convective cloud bands have been firing through the afternoon and into the night, with yellow and orange alerts issued for swathes of the country. That translates to short, intense cells and rapidly changing conditions: a bright stretch of highway can turn slick and low-visibility within minutes, and coastal waters may go choppy during stronger pulses. Light to moderate showers were logged in parts of Dubai and Sharjah early, with heavier rain and lightning later in spots across Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Some neighbourhoods in Sharjah also reported hail.

If you are out and about, plan and give yourself extra time, leave space on open roads and treat variable speed limits as hard caps. Skip shortcuts through low-lying routes and steer clear of wadis until water levels drop. Near thunderclouds, gust fronts can whip up dust and sand, cutting visibility in seconds, so resist sudden lane changes and keep headlights on. The safest call during active lightning is to avoid exposed viewpoints and open areas, and wait for the cell to pass before resuming plans. These are the exact behaviours police and forecasters are pushing tonight, and they make a measurable difference when conditions flip.

The good news is that these bursts tend to be brief. Between showers, the air feels cooler, the skyline looks freshly washed, and the first hints of the new season start to show up in morning routines.