Expatriates from Dannevirke caught in violent storms in Dubai and UAE

The recent storm that hit the United Arab Emirates and Oman left a trail of destruction in its wake, with the environment taking a severe battering. Peter and Nathalie Redward, a Kiwi couple living in Abu Dhabi, experienced the full force of the storm and shared their harrowing account with Peter’s parents in Dannevirke.

The storm, which brought two years’ worth of rain in just 24 hours, wreaked havoc across the region, particularly in Dubai and its airport, which is known as the world’s busiest for international travel. The storm began on Tuesday, April 15, with heavy downpours and violent winds. The streets of Dubai were flooded, and lightning flashed across the sky, occasionally striking the tip of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

In Abu Dhabi, where Peter and Nathalie reside, the storm also made its presence felt. Peter described the intensity of the storm in a message to his parents, recounting how the sky turned pitch dark before the black rain and hurricane-force winds arrived. The couple witnessed a tremendous lightning storm with sheets of lightning illuminating the sky for hours.

Peter’s account of the storm painted a vivid picture of the chaos and destruction it caused. He described how a gust of wind picked up a solid wood Chinese coffee table from their deck, hurled it against the glass door with a bang, and then flung it down the side of their apartment building, where it hit the wall, punched several holes, and disintegrated. The force of the wind was so strong that it could have caused serious harm if the table had hit the window just inches away.

The couple’s outdoor furniture was not the only casualty of the storm. Trees were uprooted, fences were blown over, scaffolding collapsed, street signs disappeared, and flooding was rampant. Peter noted that the damage in Abu Dhabi was just as severe, if not worse, than what was seen in Dubai.

In an update, Peter mentioned that concrete blocks had been overturned, a shipping container on a nearby building site was on its side, and other residents were not as fortunate as them. Some residents had their outdoor furniture smashed through their front windows, allowing the storm to wreak havoc inside their apartments.

The aftermath of the storm serves as a stark reminder of the power of nature and the importance of being prepared for extreme weather events. As the UAE and Oman begin the process of recovery and rebuilding, the resilience of the communities affected by the storm shines through. Peter and Nathalie’s firsthand account of the storm provides a glimpse into the chaos and destruction caused by the extreme weather event, highlighting the need for continued efforts to protect the environment and mitigate the impact of future storms.