Strong winds and rain wreak havoc in Bahrain

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TREES were uprooted, cars wrecked, cemeteries damaged, debris strewn across and lamp-posts bent as strong winds and scattered thundery rain battered Bahrain on Sunday night.

Civil Defence crew and maintenance workers were busy clearing debris and assessing the damage after unsettled weather wreaked havoc across the kingdom.

Works Minister Ibrahim Al Hawaj went on an inspection tour of various governorates in order to determine the readiness of rainwater collection and to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

The places he visited included Shaikh Salman Highway, National Charter Highway and Mahzoora Avenue.

He was accompanied by ministry Under-Secretary Shaikh Mishal bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and a number of ministry officials.

“We are keen to deal with accumulated rainwater in order to ensure that traffic flows smoothly across the main highways and tunnels in the country,” said Mr Al Hawaj.

“This will be dealt with by a specialised team. Pumps and tanks have been distributed in order to collect the water as soon as possible.

“Drainage holes are also being cleaned in order to streamline water collection and cause as little inconvenience to people as possible.”

The minister also urged people to ensure their own safety so that workers can do their job as efficiently as possible.

“Do not open the drainage covers at all,” he said.

“Additionally, do not throw anything inside the drains, as clogging could not only cause environmental damage, but workers would also be unable to do their jobs properly.

“It is absolutely imperative that they are able to do their jobs at full capacity, especially at this time.”

Meanwhile, Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak also inspected preparations for the rainy season, confirming that the ministry had strengthened co-ordination between relevant departments in municipalities across all four governorates.

Mr Al Mubarak held inspection visits to the Capital, Northern and the Southern Governorates to determine readiness regarding securing tanks and pumps.

He visited A’ali accompanied by Northern Municipal Council chairman Dr Sayed Shubbar Al Wedaie and Riffa where he was accompanied by Southern Municipal Council chairman Abdulla Abdullatif.

Mr Al Mubarak, second from left, and Mr Abdullatif, third from left, in Riffa

He also inspected reports and complaints in Tubli while being accompanied by Capital Trustees Board chairman Saleh Taradah.

“The ministry is continuously working and preparing the necessary equipment to deal with any emergency situation that arises,” he said.

“Preparations have so far been top-notch, and I appreciate the efforts of the workers in how efficiently they have dealt with accumulated rainwater so far.

“A plan has also been put in place in case of further rainfall, and reports will be dealt with according to priority, in order to ensure the efficient flow of traffic.”

Rainwater was not the only issue yesterday, as strong winds caused damage to both public and private property.

Lamp-posts reportedly collapsed in certain areas, prompting the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) to act quickly for the safety of passers-by.

Motorists were urged to adhere to traffic rules, as the Interior Ministry called upon drivers to be cautious of the rain.

The Sunni and Jaffari Endowments confirmed that a cemetery in Hoora was damaged, with a part of a wall being destroyed after a tree collapsed due to high wind speeds. No casualties or injuries were reported.

The collapsed tree that destroyed a cemetery wall in Hoora

Following the directives of Jaffari Endowments Council Chairman Yousef bin Saleh Al Saleh, a number of officials and technicians including director Mohammed Al Hussaini and head of engineering and maintenance Hussain Khtaam made a field visit to the site.

The fallen tree and the debris from the fallen wall were removed, and co-ordination with relevant authorities has begun in order to follow up on the incident and take necessary action.

Similarly, debris and fallen billboards also caused damage to seven vehicles in a car park in Manama. The billboard reportedly collapsed due to strong winds and fell on a number of cars that were parked below.

Later yesterday, a dust haze hung over Bahrain with visibility in some areas reduced to less than 1,000m in some places.

However, some respite is expected today with weathermen predicting cloudy weather.

The Works Ministry has set up a hotline, 17545544, to report rainwater accumulation.

Similarly, people can also contact their municipalities by calling the hotline at 80008188.

Neighbouring countries were also affected by the unsettled weather accompanied by scattered rains and poor visibility.

Saudi Arabia suspended in-person classes in several schools while the UAE issued a dust alert and is expected to experience moderate rainfall this week.

Earlier this month, in anticipation of the rainy season, the authority sent out a warning to people, urging them not to touch lamp-posts during rains to avoid the risk of electric shocks, and to avoid having one fall down due to strong winds.