Deluge

So... we have had a bit of weather today!! Since the start of the week, we've been told that there's going to be torrential rain with thunderstorms etc. Abu Dhabi got them - in fact, an airshow got disrupted. I wondered why Dubai missed out.

I could tell it had rained when I got into my car in the morning. I dropped G off at work as we were hoping to meet up with the friend we didn't get to see on Monday afternoon. Think there were a few drops on the windscreen as I drove. Then as soon as I got into the Kempinski (called in on Connie again for a coffee), the heavens opened. Thunder, lightning - you name it!

I emerged 45 minutes later, and it was all calm again with thunder clouds still in the sky, so made a detour to get my main shot. Home briefly to get a proposal out, before having to head back for G a whole hour earlier. The rain, which was most welcome, has caused flooding all over the place. (See extra). Some roads are absolutely impassable. This is because the drains have to be kept closed to keep the sand out. When it rains, they have to be manually opened. You get the picture.

There was pandemonium on the roads with some people stuck in traffic jams for several hours. I was lucky then that I was only 15 minutes late to get to G. I did have to drive through a pond (see 2nd extra) and prayed like mad that the Volvo wouldn't stop. It didn't.

And as both our coffee dates after school didn't happen, I decided we'd check out a cool [Bahri] bar by the Beach as it is close to Gs school. Probably not the best plan with all the water and traffic to battle, but we made it to find I was given wrong info my the operator. They didn't open till 4pm, so we had a club sandwich in the lobby lounge. Most pleasant it was.

And... it paid off to sit it out there because the journey home - though an hour long - was a lot less fraught with a lot less water and traffic to tackle. G is very happy. All schools are closed tomorrow (because of the flooding - not the rain) as is her afternoon engagement. Three day weekend. Just when she needed it! :)

I have to say, "new" Dubai - has fared really badly. So much flooding causing massive disruption. Karama on the other hand drains really well. No problems at all. There you go!