Sandstorm sweeps through Dubai as rain and thunder lash Al Ain

Drivers faced challenging conditions as heavy rain and thunder lashed Al Ain on Friday and a sandstorm swept through Dubai.

Pools of water formed on roads after downpours during the day in Al Ain.

Skies were hazy and visibility low in Dubai shortly after 5pm.

The National Centre of Meteorology released footage on social media of the stormy weather, with many of its tweets featuring a cloud seeding hashtag.

The weather forecaster predicted convective clouds would take shape in the afternoon to early evening, along with the prospect of strong winds.

Convective clouds are ideal for cloud seeding.

Planes are fitted with special flares that are loaded with salt crystals and fired into convective, or warm, clouds that have an updraft or rising current of air.

The updraft then sucks the salt crystals up into the clouds where they attract tiny particles of water that collide, becoming heavier and then falling as rain.