The United Arab Emirates has been hit by some of the coldest weather in the region in years, stunning Emiratis who have been enjoying the rare snowfall. Temperatures plummeted to -5°C in mountainous Ras Al Khaimah over the weekend, leaving the normally hot and arid region covered in up to 10cm (4 inches) of snow, the UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology said.
When it's the first time seeing snow in UAE pic.twitter.com/kXnpaGyWXS
— S (@sdhaheri1) February 4, 2017
Pictures and videos of snowball fights, snowmen and tobogganing on Jebel Jais mountain on the UAE-Oman border quickly flooded social media as locals made the most of the freak weather. While Ras Al Khaimah usually sees some snow each winter, the heavy fall is unusual.
Snow in the UAE. Weather is bollocks today. #dubaiweather #dubaistorm #staysafe #stayhome #snowinguae pic.twitter.com/VQNXa2IgV6
— Rad Omar (@raddioz) February 3, 2017
The last time heavy snow was recorded was 2009, when up to 20cm (8 inches) fell on Jebel Jais. One local told the UAE’s The National newspaper at the time that the weather was so rare the local dialect lacked words to describe it.
It's snowing heavily in UAE for the first time in almost a decade#snow
— Pietro Ebner (@PietroEbner) February 6, 2017
https://t.co/Pqr3Q8Rmgy pic.twitter.com/LIB9Cj0D97
While the snow was cause for celebration in Ras Al Khaimah, in Dubai on Friday hail and gale force winds ripped through the city, toppling a crane on the main motorway and sparking a fire that injured one person and destroyed three cars, local media reported.
While parts of the Tour of Dubai cycling race were cancelled as a precaution, the extreme weather appears to be over, with clear skies and temperatures of around 10°C expected in Ras Al Khaimah for the next few days.
Beautiful!:)Enjoy rare snow in #UAE if comes @Emirati_Sheikha @ShahameenJ ☃️ pic.twitter.com/mLxKgLueRC
— Laura Marshall (@lauramarsh70) February 4, 2017
