Severe thunderstorms, rain and hail hit Dubai, UAE

Severe thunderstorm, described as one of the biggest of the year, struck Dubai, UAE on Saturday night, March 21, 2020. The event was accompanied by heavy rain and hail, an unusual sight for the desert city.
The event gained mixed reactions from many residents, who took to social media to share images and videos of the event.
Some were shocked over the severe weather as lightning illuminated the skies while hail pelted down the ground. Some were stunned that such a system occurred in the springtime.
1st Time in Dubai Sleet Hailstorm Raining Weather pic.twitter.com/efDFIsacLO
— Rahul Sharma (@rahulsharma0046) March 21, 2020
#hailstorm in #dubai pic.twitter.com/qngj2GXDKu
— Zohaib Azhar (@ZohaibAzharHost) March 21, 2020
The thunderstorm accompanied by hail & lightening looks intense. It’s gone comepletely dark outside. #Dubai #Dubairain pic.twitter.com/BN4A0B6R3n
— Sameer Hashmi (@sameerhashmi) March 21, 2020
Last night’s ferocious thunderstorm in Dubai. Apt for our current challenging times. But all storms will eventually pass. Take shelter in the meantime and stay safe and sensible pic.twitter.com/OfRH8L5pKx
— James Gibb (@JamesGatDell) March 22, 2020
"The thunderstorm accompanied by hail & lightning looks intense. It’s gone completely dark outside," BBC reported Sameer Hashmi wrote on Twitter.
"Still couldn’t believe we had hailstones falling from the sky onto our balcony," said musician Will Janssen on the same platform.
Dubai experienced a heavy thunderstorm with a fair amount of hail too pic.twitter.com/dTFQ2e5PdC
— The National (@TheNationalUAE) March 21, 2020
Quite the isolated thundershowers we’re having this weekend here in Dubai! Still couldn’t believe we had hailstones falling from the sky onto our balcony…#weather #forecast #storm #hail #rain #lightning #thunder #Dubai #UAE #thunderstorm pic.twitter.com/1XNefakbvv
— Will Janssen (@RealWillJanssen) March 22, 2020
Is this the real life?
Is this just quarantine?
Caught in a big storm
No escape from COVID 19#dubai #thunderstorm #CoronavirusPandemic #corona #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/dzB9VXepMn— Daniel Prince (@dan_miyo) March 21, 2020
Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening!!
Dubai weather right now!#hailstorm #mydubai pic.twitter.com/YIU2T0ICkj— Joy Chakravarty (@TheJoyofGolf) March 21, 2020
The sky flashed non-stop for nearly an hour from 16:00 UTC (20:00 LT), with thunders roaring loud. Flash flooding followed as streets quickly filled up with water.
Amazing lightning storm last night in Dubai seen from 46th floor in Jumeirah a few minutes before heavy rain and hail #Dubai #dubaithunderstorm #weather #hailstorm #Jumeirah pic.twitter.com/IKwnDi8rRH
— Marek Stawinski (@marekstawinski) March 22, 2020
Hailstones covered the roads, backyards, and highways, reducing visibility to about 50 m (164 feet). Dubai Marina bore the brunt of the storm, but no damage or injuries have been reported.
The thunderstorms continued towards the coastal areas, with one heavy downpour also striking Abu Dhabi.
Stormy weather continued into Sunday and Monday.
Was fortunate to capture this shot using #Nikon #D780. Used 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G lens. #Thunderstorm #lightining #bolt #jolt #MyDubai #Dubai #Creek #architecture #cityscape #clouds #Downtown @NikonUSA @NikonMiddleEast @Nikon_Australia @NikonCanada @UKNikon @NPhotomag @Nikon_PH pic.twitter.com/f6EZ0S8UlB
— Babar-Photography (@babarswaleheen) March 22, 2020
Amazing lightning storm last night in Dubai seen from 46th floor in Jumeirah a few minutes before heavy rain and hail #Dubai #dubaithunderstorm #weather #hailstorm #Jumeirah pic.twitter.com/IKwnDi8rRH
— Marek Stawinski (@marekstawinski) March 22, 2020
@SumitGup we had a #hailstorm also yesterday in #Dubai. Probably as a result of #Mydubai successful #Cloudseeding pic.twitter.com/upOUOqbFFP
— Mohamed ElShanawany (@Mohd_Shanawany) March 22, 2020
Astonishing weather in Dubai. @TheNationalUAE pic.twitter.com/aaXlKoDHO4
— Nic Ridley (@NicRidley) March 21, 2020
A couple of shots during the sudden thunderstorm tonight in #Dubai pic.twitter.com/UZToleyrzX
— مطر (@emadmutter) March 21, 2020
Featured image credit: @babarswaleheen/Twitter
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