A national weather task force has held key talks on efforts to mitigate the impact of storms set to sweep across the Emirates on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Joint Weather and Tropical Assessment Team – which includes the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, the Ministry of Interior and the National Centre of Meteorology – underlined the need to prioritise public safety during the expected adverse weather, state news agency Wam reported on Tuesday night.
The NCM has forecast heavy rain, thunder, lightning and hail, beginning on Wednesday evening and extending to “most regions of the country” on Thursday.
The weather centre said, however, that conditions would be “less severe” than the historic deluge which lashed the country last month, causing widespread flooding, damage to homes and property and major disruption to public transport and flights.
NCM meteorologist Esraa Al-Naqbi told The National the current weather affecting the country is typical and does not compare with the storm that wreaked havoc in April.
She said that, in contrast, the weather is just a single wave beginning on Wednesday evening which is set to cover the entire country on Thursday. It has been classified as moderate while the previous storm was considered moderate to strong.
The Windy weather app projects rain and thunder to persist in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from the early hours of Thursday into the evening.
Pre-emptive action
Distance learning was directed for all private schools in Dubai on Thursday and Friday due to the expected extreme weather.
“With unstable weather predicted, all Dubai private schools, nurseries, and universities must offer distance learning on Thursday, May 2 and Friday, May 3,” the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai's private education regulator, posted on X on Tuesday.
Officials also announced that all government schools in the UAE would similarly introduce remote learning for pupils on both days.
Sharjah authorities confirmed on Wednesday that all schools and universities in the emirate would also adopt distance learning on Thursday.
Government employees in the emirate will work remotely on Thursday, with the exception of those in roles that require a physical presence, Sharjah's government media office said.
The directive only covers Thursday as Sharjah operates a four-day week, in which schools and government departments are closed on Fridays.
Public parks will be closed on both days as a safety precaution.
The Ministry of Interior said the weather was expected to have a “moderate to high impact on different parts of the country”.
The ministry urged the public to exercise caution during the unstable weather.
Police in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have called on motorists to be vigilant when driving during hazardous weather.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has taken steps to ensure roads and dams are braced for the stormy weather.
Measures have included draining water to reduce pressure and accommodate new rainfall, and cleaning water drains.
The authority said it would closely monitor dams and valleys in an effort to avert flooding.
Conditions to ease
The NCM said cloud cover would decrease on Friday on Saturday, although there remained a possibility of light to moderate rainfall, which may be heavier in some southern and eastern regions.
The Ministry of Interior stressed that authorities were “continuously monitoring the developments and updates of the weather situation”, in light of the fact many parts of the UAE are still recovering from the severe storms on Tuesday April 16.
April storms aftermath in UAE – in pictures
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
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Brief scores
Day 1
Toss England, chose to bat
England, 1st innings 357-5 (87 overs): Root 184 not out, Moeen 61 not out, Stokes 56; Philander 3-46
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
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“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
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“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
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Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
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Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
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Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
The Sky Is Pink
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Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
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MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
