Monsoon-loving Indian expats chase rain in UAE desert

SHARJAH: After Muhammed Sajjad moved from India to the United Arab Emirates a decade ago, he missed his native Kerala's monsoon season, so he embarked on an unlikely quest: finding rain in the desert.
Using satellite imagery, weather data and other high-tech tools, the amateur meteorologist tracks potential rainfall spots across the desert country and, along with other Indians nostalgic for the monsoon season, chases the clouds in search of rain.
'When I came to UAE in 2015, in August, it... was peak monsoon time' in Kerala, the 35-year-old estate agent told AFP, adding that he had struggled to adjust to the change of climate.
'So I started to search about the rainy condition in UAE and I came to know that there is rain happening in UAE during peak summer,' he said, adding: 'I started to explore the possibility to chase the rain, enjoy the rain.'
Each week, he forecasts when and where rain might fall and posts a suggested rendezvous to the 130,000 followers of his 'UAE Weatherman' page on Instagram.
He regularly posts footage of his rain expeditions out into the desert, hoping to bring together 'all rain lovers who miss rain.'
Last weekend, he headed out into the desert from Sharjah at the head of a convoy of about 100 vehicles.
But nothing is certain. The rain 'may happen, it may not happen,' Sajjad said. But when it does, 'it is an amazing moment.'
After driving in the desert for hours, the group arrived at the designated spot just as a downpour started.
The rain lovers leapt out of their vehicles, their faces beaming as the rain droplets streamed down their cheeks in a rare reminder of home.
'They feel nostalgic,' Sajjad said proudly.
Most UAE residents are foreigners, among them some 3.5 million Indians who make up the Gulf country's largest expatriate community.
Despite the use of advanced cloud-seeding technology, the UAE has an average yearly rainfall of just 50 to 100 milliliters.
Most of it falls during short but intense winter storms.
'While long-term averages remain low, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events has been increasing and is due to global warming,' said Diana Francis, a climate scientist who teaches at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi.
In the summer, the country often gets less than five milliliters of rain, she said, usually falling away from the coastal areas where most of the population lives.
So rain-seekers must drive deep into the desert interior to have a chance of success.
An Indian expatriate, who gave her name only as Anagha and was on her first expedition into the desert last weekend, said she was 'excited to see the rain.'
'All of my family and friends are enjoying good rain and good climate and we are living here in the hot sun,' she said.
The UAE endured its hottest April on record this year.
By contrast, April last year saw the UAE's heaviest rains in 75 years, which saw 259.5 mm of rainfall in a single day.
Four people died and the commercial hub of Dubai was paralyzed for several days. Scientists of the World Weather Attribution network said the intense rains were 'most likely' exacerbated by global warming.
'We couldn't enjoy it because it was flooded all over UAE,' Anagha said. 'This time we are going to see... rain coming to us in the desert.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Al Arabiya

4 days ago

• Al Arabiya

At least 18 dead as rains lash India's Gujarat state

At least 18 people have died since Monday as torrential rains lashed parts of India's western Gujarat, state officials said. Disaster response teams have been deployed to help residents in the south of the state, who are bracing for more heavy monsoon rainfall. 'Eighteen people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while dozens have been rescued across low-lying areas by disaster response teams,' the state government said late Tuesday. The worst-hit areas included Palitana and Jesar towns, which on Tuesday registered 867 millimetres (34 inches) of rain over the past 24 hours. State relief commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said the 18 deaths were the result of storms, lightning strikes, and structural collapses due to rough weather. 'The state is fully geared to handle the situation, and inter-departmental coordination is being intensified to ensure swift relief and rescue operations,' Pandey said. Those rescued included 18 farm laborers who were trapped in mango orchards in the Gadhada area, and 22 people in Surendranagar district where waters from an overflowing river gushed into their homes. India's annual monsoon season from June to September offers respite from the intense summer heat and is crucial for replenishing water supplies. But scores of people die each year during the rainy season due to flash floods and landslides across India, a country of 1.4 billion people.

Arab News

5 days ago

• Arab News

Met office forecasts 25% above-normal monsoon rain for Pakistan this year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is likely to experience 25 percent more rainfall than average during the upcoming monsoon season, officials said on Tuesday, with the country's most populous province, Punjab, rolling out preparedness measures to address urban flooding and other climate-related emergencies. The warning comes as Pakistan continues to suffer the effects of increasingly frequent and intense weather events, including heatwaves, droughts and devastating floods. Although the country contributes less than one percent to global carbon emissions, it remains among the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world. Punjab's Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia visited the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) headquarters in Lahore to assess forecasts and coordination efforts ahead of the seasonal rains. 'This year's monsoon rainfall is expected to be 25 percent above normal levels,' officials said during a briefing. 'The heaviest rains are forecast for the month of August.' During the visit, Chief Meteorologist Zahir Babar provided a detailed overview of the seasonal outlook and flood forecasting mechanisms, while emphasizing the importance of early warnings in major cities like Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala to minimize urban flood impacts. Kathia said all necessary arrangements have been completed to manage the risk of flooding during the monsoon. He stressed that a joint response plan must be implemented by all concerned departments to deal with cloudburst events and urban flooding. Pakistan experienced catastrophic monsoon rains in 2022 that submerged large parts of the country, killing nearly 1,700 people and causing damage to homes, farmland and infrastructure exceeding $35 billion, according to government and UN estimates. Officials also reviewed the flood early warning system for hill torrents and the control room operations for real-time monitoring of river flows under the Flood Forecasting Division. Kathia praised the Meteorological Department's coordination and technical preparedness, calling the working relationship between the PMD and PDMA Punjab 'excellent.'

Asharq Al-Awsat

6 days ago

• Asharq Al-Awsat

India's Monsoon Back on Track, Heatwave to Ease, Says Weather Officials

India's monsoon has revived after stalling for more than a fortnight, and rains are set to cover central parts of the country this week, bringing relief from the heatwave in the grain-growing northern plains, two senior weather officials said on Monday. The monsoon, the lifeblood of the country's nearly $4 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70% of the rain that India needs to water farms and replenish aquifers and reservoirs. Nearly half of India's farmland, which has no irrigation, depends on the annual June-September rains for crop growth. The monsoon has revived after a fortnight as a favorable weather system has developed in the Bay of Bengal, which would help the monsoon to cover entire central India this week, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told Reuters. Monsoon rains on Monday covered almost the entire western state of Maharashtra and entered into neighboring Gujarat and central state of Madhya Pradesh, the official said. The Monsoon's onset over Kerala occurred on May 24 and quickly covered southern, northeastern and some parts of western India ahead of its usual schedule, but its progress has stalled since May 29, according to an IMD chart that tracked the monsoon's progress. The monsoon has gained the required momentum, and heavy rainfall is likely over west coast, central and some parts of north India in next ten days, which will significantly bring down temperatures, another weather official said. India has received 31% lower rainfall than average in the first half of June, but in the second half the country is set to receive above average rainfall, the official said. Monsoon rains are set to progress quickly in the next few days and could cover most parts of the country before the end of June, the official said. Summer rains usually fall in Kerala around June 1 before spreading nationwide by mid-July, allowing farmers to plant crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane.