Watch: UAE rain chasers can barely contain joy at finding hail in Oman

Khaleej Times

3 days ago

While most parts of the UAE continue to brave the extreme summer heat, some areas in the Gulf have been experiencing occasional heavy rains and hail. Some rain chasers from the UAE were lucky enough to experience hail in Oman, and shared their joy through a video on social media.
A video shared by the Storm Centre on Thursday, July 3, captured hail in the city of Ibri in Oman. The rain chasers can be seen picking up hailstones by the side of a road, making videos, unbothered by the downpour.
Coming closer to the camera, they show off the collected hailstone like a prized win, joy written all over their faces. Take a look:
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A post shared by �ر�ز ا�عاص�ة ��را�بة ا�ط�س �ا�ذذ�ر ا���اخ� ا��ؤسس omar alnauimi (@storm_ae)
The Storm Centre consistently brings us visuals of rain and storm in and around the country. Earlier in the day, they also shared videos of heavy clouds in the skies of Fujairah.
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Last week, UAE experienced its first summer hail this year, alongwith moderate to heavy rainfall in parts of Al Ain.
Heavy showers were witnessed in parts of Al Ain like Khatm Al Shakla and Malaqit, according to the UAE's National Center of Meteorology. The Storm Center had shared visuals of hail from Al Shakla canal in Al Ain city.
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A post shared by �ر�ز ا�عاص�ة ��را�بة ا�ط�س �ا�ذذ�ر ا���اخ� ا��ؤسس omar alnauimi (@storm_ae)
Seasonal rainfall is not uncommon in the UAE. Just two years ago, summer flooding hit Fujairah. More recently, on June 8 last year, heavy rains were seen over parts of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah. Al Watan Road — en route to Hatta — was lashed by thunderstorms and hail.
Why do we see hail in summer?
According to meteorologists, hail during summer occurs when surface temperatures are warm, but the upper atmosphere is still cold enough to support ice.
Hail can occur during summer due to strong updrafts in convective clouds. These strong updrafts, fueled by rising warm air, carry water droplets and ice particles high into the atmosphere, where they freeze and become hailstones.