Watch: Dubai lashed by heavy rain after alert issued

Dubai was lashed by heavy rain on Sunday afternoon as strong winds swept across the country during the day.

Early morning drizzle gave way to a deluge across the emirate under darkening skies.

Weather experts sent out an alert about cloudy conditions as parts of the country were affected by rainfall.

Moderate to heavy rain soaked large parts of Al Ain, including Jebel Hafeet, Zakhir and Al Ain City.

The wet weather meant hazardous driving conditions for commuters at the start of a new working week.

The sun sets behind the Ain Dubai big wheel after the rain came down in Dubai on November 8. All pictures by Chris Whiteoak / The National

The National Centre of Meteorology posted video footage of cars travelling through roads flooded with pools of water as rain continued to pour down.

A NCM spokesperson urged drivers to take care on the roads - with more rainfall expected in the coming days.

“We urge people to stay clear of wadis and mountainous areas during heavy rain and drive cautiously on the roads,” the spokesperson said.

The NCM forecast winds would reach speeds of up to 40 kilometres an hour.

The weather centre said convective clouds would form in the Emirates from 4.30am on Sunday until about 4pm, bringing with it the prospect of rain.

Heavy rain fell across Heavy rain fell over Al Bidya in Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Kalba in Sharjah, Al Nuaimia in Ajman and Falaj Al mualla in Umm Al Quwain on Sunday.

The Plume Air Report app, which monitors air quality in cities around the world and is endorsed by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, displayed an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 34 in Abu Dhabi and 45 in Dubai on Sunday.

The rates suggest that air quality in Abu Dhabi and Dubai were moderately polluted.

The application detected high levels of air pollution in Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, which can be considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Fair to partly cloudy weather is predicted across the country during the week, while humidity is most likely to increase by night with chances of fog formation on Monday morning over some coastal and interior areas, especially in the west.

Sea conditions will be slight to moderate in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.