ABU DHABI // The weather system that ripped through the UAE over the past week eased yesterday, but meteorologists say there may be more storms on Friday. The gales and downpours that contributed to at least 18 deaths and caused millions of dirhams in damage were severe, but not unusual for this time of year. The thunderstorms erupted when warm, moist air from the Arabian Sea travelling at surface level collided with a cold upper air mass from the eastern Mediterranean. Low pressure weather systems are usually associated with wind, cloud and rain while high pressure systems mainly result in hot, dry conditions.
The recent storms were prolonged because the low pressure trough became trapped by a ridge of high pressure around Egypt and the Arabian peninsula. "The trough we have been experiencing has now moved east and is about to pass over Iran," said a meteorologist at the UAE's National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS). "Unfortunately a second low pressure trough is due to arrive here from the north-west on Friday. We expect it will stay here for around two days. It will bring more rain and winds."
Jebel Jais, around 30km north of Ras al Khaimah, was the wettest region, with 162mm of rain last week. Fujairah had 127mm, Ghantoot 98mm and Abu Dhabi 27mm. Figures were not available for Dubai. Rain was concentrated in the north of the Emirates as mountainous regions receive more rainfall. Wind speeds peaked at about 90 kph. "There was a lot of humidity which arrived from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean and it caused the instability in the weather that we have been seeing for the past few days," said the meteorologist. "This caused the formation of cumulonimbus clouds and led to the wet weather.
Another meteorologist at Dubai International Airport added: "There was a great deal of convection clouds formed and these rose higher than normal; 40,000ft rather than the usual 30,000ft. "The weather was quite severe but it was not unusual. Last year was drier and not like this but in 2007 there was a very similar weather pattern at this time of the year. In 2005 it was the same. "It is cyclical. These weather patterns come and go. The 1980s were wetter. The 1990s were drier."
Storms form when warm air and cool air collide. Warm air has a lower density than cool air and rises within the cooler air mass. As it rises it cools and the water vapour condenses before freezing inside the cloud. This condensation releases heat energy that warms the outer layer of air, triggering a convection effect that sucks this cold air core up to the tropopause. This leads to the formation of huge cumulonimbus clouds.
The cold air then falls and leads to rain or hail and also causes downdrafts below the storm. As the warm air updrafts mix with the freezing downdrafts, the water particles collide, causing friction that electrifies the cloud particles and these charged particles separate. The positive charge fixes near the top of the cloud while the negative rests at the bottom. Eventually, the charges become so great they form an electrical discharge in the form of lightning.
chamilton@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Company%20Profile
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
World Cup warm-up fixtures
Friday, May 24:
- Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
- Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)
Saturday, May 25
- England v Australia (Southampton)
- India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)
Sunday, May 26
- South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
- Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)
Monday, May 27
- Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
- England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)
Tuesday, May 28
- West Indies v New Zealand (Bristol)
- Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A