Parts of the UAE experienced rain, hail and thunderstorms on Monday, October 12. Heavy rainfall in some areas caused runoff along mountain routes and flooding on sections of roads. The UAE’s National Center of Meteorology said rain could continue until Friday, October 16.

In Sharjah’s central region, the towns of Mleiha, Al Madam and Al Ukhaidir experienced hail. Videos released by Storm Centre showed hailstones covering some roads and desert areas.

Severe thunderstorms were also observed over Mleiha. A video shared on social media showed lightning apparently striking the ground and producing a bright flash. Other footage showed lightning in Sharjah’s Hamda area.

Rain also continued into the evening in parts of Al Ain, causing water to accumulate on roads. The Shawkah area of Ras Al Khaimah also experienced rainfall.

Along Al Watan Road towards Hatta, rain caused runoff in low-lying areas and along routes near the road, posing a potential danger to motorists, particularly near mountains and flood-prone channels.

On Monday, the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology issued a flash-flood warning for some mountainous areas from 3.30pm to 9pm and urged the public to avoid flood-prone routes.

According to the centre’s forecast, rain could continue in parts of the UAE until the end of the week and may also affect inland areas of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra.

Areas that could receive rain include locations around Mirdif in Dubai, Dubai–Al Ain Road, Abu Dhabi–Al Ain Road, Sweihan and Madinat Zayed.

Dr Ahmed Habib, an expert at the National Center of Meteorology, said rainfall would generally be light to moderate but could intensify at times, accompanied by thunderstorms, strong winds and dust.

The National Center of Meteorology urged motorists to drive cautiously when visibility is reduced and to follow official alerts for the latest weather updates.