Unusual rain lashes Bahrain, leadership orders compensation

The extreme weather condition had turned roads in the UAE into rivers washing away vehicles and causing excessive damage to houses after nearly a day-long downpour. However, in Bahrain, rains were not that traumatising, with their intensity varying in different regions from heavy to mild.

In the Northern Governorate, some regions witnessed heavy showers for a prolonged period, inundating roads in the low-lying areas. Images circulating online showed vehicles plying along waterlogged roads as the sky remained cloudy.

Ministry of Interior, in a Tweet, said they are coordinating efforts to deal with rain-related impacts in the Kingdom. Social media was also abuzz with comments, with several users expressing their disbelief.

“Thunderstorms rain in Bahrain in middle of summer,” wrote a Twitter user with a picture showing water-soaked roads through a window. Another wrote, “Alhamdulilah, rain in Bahrain.”

“Someone tells someone it’s the middle of summer on a desert island! What’s all these clouds and rain drops about?” yet another comment reads. “Since I was born, I never witnessed such heavy rain in the summer of Bahrain,” wrote another.

“Rain July Bahrain. Someone played in the system,” said another. Certain others also expressed their relief amid the scorching summer. “Finally, some rain in Bahrain,” wrote a user. The ministry also tweeted several pictures showing water-logged roads where members of the Civil Defence Force are in operation.

General Directorate of Traffic also called upon road users to be cautious of the rain in some areas for their safety. Experts believe that global warming and climate change are responsible for this rare phenomenon in the Middle East, while Europe gets walloped in unprecedented heatwaves.

El Nino and La Nina are also blamed for the unusual weather conditions in the UAE, which experts say could bring changes in the weather pattern worldwide. In Bahrain, Meteorological Department had predicted unstable weather conditions over the Kingdom.

Met officials also predict rains today in Bahrain. “There will be scattered rains of varying intensity, which could get thunderous at different regions in the Kingdom,” warned the Department under the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications on Thursday.

MTT said it is seeing tropical depressions approaching the southern regions of the Arabian Peninsula. The General Directorate of Civil Defence, in a statement to citizens and residents, said they could expect heavy rains accompanied by high-speed winds.

The Coast Guard Command had urged sea-goers to take precautions. The General Directorate of Traffic called on drivers to observe extreme caution during rains. “Drivers should adhere to all traffic safety measures, including following the correct path, specified speed, safety distance, and correct overtaking methods,” the statement said.

The unusual rains had also lashed the capital of Qatar, submerging several streets in Doha. The Middle East Eye reported inundated streets and near-submerged cars close to World Cup structures following rains on Thursday.

The Qatar News Agency (QNA) said in a statement that “rain in July in Doha just doesn’t happen” as the reliable forecast for much of the Arabian Peninsula is hot, dry and dusty in summer. “However, monsoon rains do affect some parts when it bursts out of India, most notably Oman and Yemen, which have regular summer thunderstorms,” the report said.

Bahrain Meteorology department says temperatures in the Kingdom to hover between 37 and 31 degrees Celsius and will be humid and partly cloudy. The UAE’s interior ministry said yesterday seven Asian expatriates have been found dead following recent floods across the country.

The ministry said on Twitter it was updating an earlier death toll, after an Asian expatriate who had been missing was found dead.