UAE school children and staff travelling from Jebel Ali to Sharjah faced a six-hour commute as rain showers took over parts of the nation on Tuesday.
“We boarded the bus at 3.45 PM yesterday, and reached home at 9.45 PM,” a staff member of Delhi Private School who was on a bus to Sharjah, told Arabian Business.
“The main block was at Garhoud – we were stuck there for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes,” the staff said.
The two school buses carried a total of five students and 17 staff members.
“It was quite a tedious journey, especially as we board the bus at 6.15 in the morning” the staff said, adding that it was difficult due to lack of options to take a bathroom break or eat a snack.
Children and staff members often board the school bus from Sharjah to Jebal Ali around 6 AM to reach school before 8 AM, when the first session begins. The journey takes an hour and a half daily, however, during the rainy season, the trip can be prolonged.
“There was just one source of motivation for us at that time,” the staff member said. “It was a little girl in kindergarten – she was just singing and doing her homework, without any form of motion sickness.”
Multiple areas in Dubai saw rain, potential tornadoes and flooded streets on Tuesday.
Arabian Business received videos and images of the effects of rain across the city, areas including Al Jafiliya, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Majan and Outsource City eyewitnesses report.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also issued an advisory for motorists as the emirate faced its first showers this year.
“Ensure public safety in rainy weather by driving carefully and not exceeding the speed limit. Adhere to traffic lights at all times and don’t accelerate fast when they turn green to ensure vehicle stability. #YourSafetyOurPriority,” the RTA said in a post via Twitter.
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) also issued a weather alert cautioning individuals and urging residents and motorists to stay safe.
The NCM alerted, “precautions should be taken in case of heavy rain at times over some Eastern and Northern areas. UAE residents are advised to stay away from areas of flash floods and accumulated rain.”
In addition, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) also urged customers to take care to avoid power blackouts during Dubai’s rainy season.
To ensure an uninterrupted power supply during the rainy season DEWA is advising residents in Dubai to review equipment in their homes and ensure necessary safety precautions are met.
On Monday, The Ministry of Interior issued a warning to caution all drivers on UAE roads to be cautious, reduce speed, avoid water ponds, fast moving streams as well as avoiding seas and beaches.
The tweet by Ministry of Interior also retweeted by Dubai Police, alerts various levels of rains and winds, sometimes accompanied by thunder and lightning across the country.
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