VIDEO: Moderate rain experienced in various areas of UAE

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Heavy to light rain fell in different areas of the country on Friday, bring the temperature down by a few notches. The rain was a result of an extension of a surface low pressure.

It began raining in Al-Foah, Al-Qattara, Al-Jimi, Mazid Al-Dhahir, Khatm Al Shaklah in Al-Ain, Liwa, Khanoor, Al-Maria, Mahdar, Umm Al-Hisn and south of Madinat Zayed in Al Dhafra.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) expects the weather on Saturday to be partly cloudy in general and hazy at times with a probability of some convective cloud formation eastward and southward by afternoon.

There will be a slight decrease in temperature over some internal areas, the NCM added.

It has also predicted the winds to be moderate southeasterly to northeasterly winds, freshening at times, causing blowing dust and sand, with a speed of 20–30, reaching 42km/hr.

The sea will be moderate, becoming rough at time by night in the Arabian Gulf and moderate in Oman Sea, it added.

Recently, the National Centre of Meteorology announced that it has carried out 219 cloud seeding operations across the country in the first half of 2020, using a total of 4,841 flares produced by NCM's Emirates Weather Enhancement Factory, as well as 419 ground generator flares.

"NCM’s cloud seeding operations demonstrate the importance placed by the UAE on providing sustainable water resources through encouraging research and innovation in water-related technologies," NCM said.

With an average rainfall of 100 mm per year, the UAE is ranked among the water stressed countries, and the it's ambitious rain enhancement programme aims to increase the annual precipitation levels in an effort to enhance the country’s water security through augmenting its strategic groundwater resources.