United Arab Emirates: With rain and hail forecast, Al Ain residents protect their cars with cardboard and yoga mats – News

With memories of ice pellets breaking car windows and denting the hood still fresh in their minds, Al Ain residents are leaving nothing to chance this time. They will be “very careful”, they say, as UAE authorities warned of heavy rain, hail and thunderstorms this weekend.

“During the last hailstorm, my neighbor’s new car was severely damaged. He lost around Dh25,000 in the vehicle,” said resident Semeer Moyin.

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“So now everyone is being very careful with their vehicles. I only have a shady parking lot. So, I covered my other car with a yoga mat. I just hope it’s enough.”

Their neighbors also improvised shields for their cars. Some used cardboard boxes and rugs, Moyin said.

Heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail are likely to hit the country from Friday night (March 8) to Sunday midday (March 10). Flooding is also expected in some areas.

For Heba Hussain, who recently moved to Al Ain from Abu Dhabi, the whole experience of the last time it rained was “disconcerting”.

“Luckily for us, the storm didn’t cause much damage, other than a few leaks here and there. Our car sustained some damage, but it was just dents,” he said.

“We will keep the cars in the basement to protect them from snow and rain. My husband will work remotely this time,” Hussain said.

“I can see that some people in the neighborhood have covered their cars because they don’t have a basement like our building.”

Semeer, a hospital worker, said he expects a long day of work starting Friday. “Our management is preparing our schedule for the weekend to ensure adequate staffing is available in the event of an emergency,” he said.

While those ice pellets could cause serious damage, Semeer said there’s beauty in them, too.

“Last week, after the storm, I took my family to see the beautiful city,” he said. “My children enjoyed it.”

Now that they are fully prepared for a hail storm, Al Ain residents could enjoy the view, without the headache of having to deal with the costly consequences.

“Even if people found out last time, they didn’t expect it to be so intense. This time people are ready,” Hussain said.

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