UAE weather alert: Residents advised to avoid wadis or face fines

Residents in the UAE have been urged to avoid valleys, mountains and areas prone to flooding as heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the country over the next few days.

In a joint briefing by the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), the Ministry of Interior and the National Center for Meteorology (NCM) on Thursday evening, the authorities warned that legal action will be taken against those who break the rules or put themselves or others in danger.

According to the forecast, the weather will be extremely unstable from Friday evening to Sunday noon with varying amounts of rain, lightning, thunder, and occasional hailstorms.

The unstable weather will start from Al Dhafra and Al Ain regions, before extending to Abu Dhabi and its suburbs. It will then prevail over Dubai before heading to Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. 

Authorities added that roads leading to wadis and mountains will be closed until the weather conditions improve, while the decision to shift to remote learning is up to the emergency and crisis management teams in the affected emirates.

They said the "decision to cancel events and tourist activities will be left to the local authorities". 

In order to ensure everyone's safety during the expected severe weather conditions , here are the main decisions outlined in the media briefing. pic.twitter.com/Yw3kP6w8Q6

— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) March 7, 2024

Your Safety .. Your Responsibility. pic.twitter.com/TneXZ5pq3D

— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) March 7, 2024

In order to review the readiness levels of various entities, a series of meetings were held by the Joint Assessment Team for Weather and Tropical Situations, headed by the NCEMA.