Five people were rescued after four cars were swept away in flash floods in Sharjah on Monday as heavy rain lashed the northern emirates. Dramatic footage of the incident was widely shared on social media. It shows the 4x4 cars being pushed down Wadi Shees by the fierce waters. Sharjah Police came to the aid of the group who were left stranded in the wadi. “The forcefully rushing waters of the valley swept their vehicles away,” said Sharjah Police in a statement. “The rescue teams got them out of the wadi without injuries.” Police urged members of the public to avoid wadis during hazardous weather. Heavy rain was reported on Monday over Khor Fakkan and Wadi Shees in Sharjah and light to moderate rain over Wadi Al Ejili in Ras Al Khaimah, Masafi in Fujairah and Al Rafisah Dam in Sharjah. The National Centre of Meteorology said that more rainfall is expected in some eastern and northern parts of the country in the coming days. “Heavy to moderate rain is expected over some eastern areas such as Masafi and Khor Fakkan from Tuesday until Thursday and might reach some areas in Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain,” said Alya Al Hantoobi, an NCM forecaster. Flash flooding is common in northern parts of the Emirates and police always advise residents not to drive near wadis during treacherous weather. Ali Al Shammari, founder of volunteer group UAE Rescue, said that irresponsible acts can lead to accidents and sometimes deaths. “We always tell people to avoid wadis and dangerous places during the rainfall as water can come down suddenly from the mountains and fill the wadis in only few second,” he said. “If people wish to observe the rain they should do that from high and safe places to avoid accidents and deaths caused by flash floods.” Fair to partly cloudy weather will persist across the country for the rest of the week. Light to moderate winds will pick up dust and reduce visibility in some areas. Morning fog will persist as humidity will remain high overnight. _____________
