Watch video of UAE's 'once in a lifetime' snow fall

By AFP
  • Sunday, 25 January 2009 2:55 PM
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A blanket of snow has covered a mountain in a part of the UAE, a rare phenomenon for the desert Gulf country, according to local media reports.

Al Jees mountain, 5,700 feet (1,737 metres) above sea level and 25 kilometres (15 miles) northeast of Ras Al Khaimah city, was covered in 20 centimetres (eight inches) of snow, the state news agency WAM said.

"Although limited snowfall was recorded on the mountain some years back, for the first time the peak of the mountain was fully covered in snow," it said.

Local authorities said temperatures plunged to minus 3 degrees Celsius (26.6 Fahrenheit) on Friday and again to below zero on Saturday, The National newspaper reported.

Major Said al-Yamahi of Ras al-Khaimah police told the newspaper that an area of five square kilometres (almost two square miles) was covered in snow.

The emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai also had heavy rains on Friday and Saturday, in a spell of rare chilly weather in a desert state where summer temperatures can reach 50 Celcius (122 Fahrenheit).

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Please post responsibly. Commenter Rules

Posted by: Mariam Thursday, 15 December 2011 12:38 PM[UAE] - UAE

I know i'm comment late but right now in December its so cold my teeth chatter when i just walkfrom the bed to the bathroom. I love chilled cold air but on September 1st there was kind of like a hurricane this year.

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Posted by: Cris Wednesday, 4 February 2009 8:11 AM[UAE]

This is what einstein calculated and so called " Polar Shift" frightining huh... this is the beginning of the end..

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Posted by: pam Thursday, 29 January 2009 2:26 PM[UAE] - UAE

Climates have been changing since the beginning of time, even Al Gore can`t stop that. Let`s hope that we can learn to adjust to the situation rather than attempt to change it. As for Armageddon- I believe it says in the Holy Quran "live as if you`ll never die and die as if you`ve never lived". Just don`t think about it.

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Posted by: pam Thursday, 29 January 2009 2:24 PM[UAE] - UAE

Climates have been changing since the beginning of time, even Al Gore can`t stop that. Let`s hope that we can learn to adjust to the situation rather than attempt to change it. As for Armageddon- I believe it says in the Holy Quran "live as if you`ll never die and die as if you`ve never lived". Just don`t think about it.

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Posted by: Mpower Thursday, 29 January 2009 9:35 AM[UAE]

The climates are reversing, europe is getting hotter explains the floods there, similarly the gulf region is getting colder, weather change patterns will be able to explain this better maybe in a few decades the emirates will see snow in some other states as well. Are these signs of good things to come or a warning of Armeggeddon(Qayamat) only time will tell.

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