UAE's NCM issues 5.5-hour flood alert as hail hits

The UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology issued a 5.5-hour flash-flood alert on Monday, Oct. 12, after rain and hail were reported in several areas, Khaleej Times reported.

The NCM alert ran from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, the newspaper said, giving residents a defined warning window compared with routine rain forecasts that carry no flood advisory.

The weather affected visibility on roads and brought strong winds in places, according to Khaleej Times. The report cited videos posted by Storm Centre, a weather-focused social-media account, showing rain on Al Watan Street on Hatta Road and hail striking the roadway.

The NCM advised residents to be careful during showers and to avoid locations vulnerable to sudden flooding in some mountainous areas, according to the article. Such warnings are aimed at low-lying channels and steep terrain where runoff can build quickly after heavy rain.

The newspaper said the NCM had earlier forecast possible rainfall in Dubai, Sharjah and Al Ain. The report did not give rainfall totals, wind speeds or an official estimate of how many districts were under the flash-flood alert.

Storm Centre footage cited by Khaleej Times showed heavy rain falling on vehicle windshields as motorists drove through reduced visibility. The same footage showed hail on Al Watan Street, Hatta Road, according to the report.

A separate Storm Centre video described by the newspaper showed a person standing in hail with an umbrella as strong wind turned it inside out and pushed it back toward him. Khaleej Times also cited footage from Ras Al Khaimah showing rain in Shawkah, filmed from inside a car.

The available reporting points to localised weather disruption rather than a nationwide emergency. Khaleej Times did not report injuries, road closures, flight delays, property damage or official emergency deployments linked to Monday’s rain and hail.

The alert came as the UAE moved into an autumn period that can bring some relief from summer temperatures, according to the newspaper. That seasonal context does not reduce the short-term danger from flash flooding where rain falls over mountainous or drainage-sensitive areas.

For residents and motorists, the main official instruction was to avoid flood-risk locations until the NCM warning expired at 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12.

Any broader assessment would require official data on rainfall, flooding, traffic disruption or damage.