VIDEO: Rescue chopper airlifts two people stuck in Ras Al Khaimah floodwaters

Emadeddin Khlalil, Staff Reporter

The National Search And Rescue Center team in Ras Al Khaimah rescued people stranded in the floodwaters in the valleys of Jebel Jais Road on Monday.

Videos posted on social media showed a chopper airlifting two people stuck on a submerged SUV as water gushes past them.  

The National Centre of Meteorology also called the public to exercise caution while driving during rain and the lack of horizontal visibility, caused by rain and winds, advising them to stay away from sloping places and surface run-offs.

The Abu Dhabi Police also called on drivers to be careful due to weather fluctuations and to abide by the variable speed shown on signs and electronic road signs.

On Monday, separate areas of the country witnessed medium to heavy rain due a state of atmospheric instability as the upper low pressure extending from the west over the country deepens, coinciding with the extension of a surface low pressure from the south, and the continued flow of clouds from the Red Sea towards the country, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).

It is expected that the depressions will move towards the east on Wednesday and Thursday to ease the situation, the NCM added.

The rain began to fall nearly at 9:00 am on Sir Bu Nair Island in Sharjah, Fateh field in Dubai, and Shaam, Ghalila, Jebel Jais and separate areas in Ras Al Khaimah. It was heavy accompanied by thunderstorms on Abu Musa Island in Sharjah Al Jarf area in Ajman, while was medium to heavy on Abu Dhabi-Dubai road and separate areas of Dubai and Umm Al Quwain. Rain also caused surface run-offs in Wadi Al Sheha and Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah.

The NCM also indicated that Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah for the second day in a row recorded the lowest temperature in the country that reached 10.9ºC on Monday morning at 02:30 am.

The NCM also noted that the weather on Tuesday would be partly cloudy to cloudy at times, with convective clouds formation associated with rainfall of different amounts over scattered areas, with a significant drop in temperatures. Moderate to fresh northwesterly winds and strong at times, causing blowing dust and sand, reducing horizontal visibility, with a speed 25 - 35, reaching 60 km/hr. The sea will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf and rough in the Oman Sea, the NCM added.

On Wednesday, the weather is expected to be partly cloudy in general and dusty at times. Moderate to fresh northwesterly winds, strong at times, with a speed 25 - 35, reaching 60 km/hr, causing blowing sand that could affect horizontal visibility. The sea will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf and rough in the Oman Sea.

On Thursday, the weather is expected to be cloudy in general and dusty at times. Moderate to fresh northwesterly winds, strong at times, causing blowing dust and sand, reducing horizontal visibility, with a speed 25 - 35, reaching 55 km/hr. The sea will be very rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf and rough to moderate in the Oman Sea.