Freak Hail Storm Blankets the UAE

Posted on January 20, 2015 in Anomalies, Middle East, Naturally // 0 Comments

The UAE has been hit by a sandstorm, rain and even hail today – and the forecasters are warning there could be more to come.

In one part of the desert country in the emirate Ras Al Khaimah - better known for its long, hot stifling summers – a soaking 38.2 mm of rain fell, according to local press reports.

The roads were hit by chaotic scenes with police recording more than 750 road smashes, and at least three people killed, as inexperienced motorists, unfamiliar with the dangers posed by slippery surfaces caused by high rainfall, failed to heed warnings.

Social media was flooded with images of the extreme conditions, including many that appeared to show snow in the desert.

But a spokesman for the National Center for Meteorology and Seismology told local press: “Due to the intensity of the hail storm that struck parts of Abu Dhabi and continues to do so, it appears that it may have snowed. But what you see is intense hail.”

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