UPDATE: Some UAE schools may close and shift to remote learning tomorrow Friday 8 March 2024 due to expected adverse weather conditions, according to a UAE government update following an emergency briefing. The decision to close schools will be taken by the respective emergency and crisis management teams in each of the affected emirates.
During the exceptional media briefing on the expected weather conditions in the #UAE… The decision to shift to “remote learning” is to be taken by the emergency and crisis management teams in the affected emirates. #UAE_BARQ_EN pic.twitter.com/reyVJuVbHL
— UAE BARQ (@UAE_BARQ_EN) March 7, 2024
Read more on the latest weather and school closure updates here.
An emergency meeting has been called by the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) about impending severe weather conditions.
تعقد الهيئة الوطنية لإدارة #الطوارئ_والأزمات والكوارث ووزارة الداخلية والمركز الوطني للأرصاد إحاطة إعلامية استثنائية غدا حول الأحوال الجوية المتوقعة في الدولة، الموافق 7 مارس 2024، الساعة 5 مساءً.
The National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority #NCEMA, The… pic.twitter.com/0b5Z5ILbul
— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) March 6, 2024
In a social media post on Wednesday 6 March 2024, NCEMA stated that it would be holding a media briefing to discuss:
“The expected drop in temperatures and weather fluctuations. Emphasis is placed on adhering to safety measures and preventing the dissemination of rumours.”
الهيئة الوطنية لإدارة #الطوارئ_والأزمات والكوارث وفريق التقييم المشترك للحالات الجوية والمدارية يعززان الجاهزية الوطنية لمواجهة المنخفض الجوي المقبل، مع التأكيد على أهمية الالتزام بإرشادات السلامة وتجنب تداول الشائعات.#NCEMA, in collaboration with The Joint Assessment Team, is… pic.twitter.com/suK4EajiEI
— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) March 7, 2024
Held by NCEMA – which long-term UAE residents will remember used to hold weekly briefing during the COVID-19 pandemic – in conjunction with the Ministry of Interior and The National Centre for Meteorology (NCM), the briefing will take place at 5pm on Thursday 7 March 2024.
NCM is currently predicting a 25% to 90% chance of heavy rain in Dubai on Friday 8th March, with highs of 30 degrees and lows of 21 degrees. The unsettled weather is expected to last into the weekend, with a high chance of moderate rain predicted on both Saturday and Sunday.
With heavy rain forecast across Friday 8th March and the weekend, schools are braced for adverse weather conditions.
Brett Girven, Principal of Arbor School Dubai said:
“Arbor School prepares communications in advance and makes a decision early in the morning regarding whether to close or remain open based on weather conditions.”
Last month Dubai schools were advised to offer distance learning to students on Monday 12 February 2024 and Tuesday 13 February due to warnings of unstable weather.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which regulates Dubai schools, issued an urgent advisory to all schools to be flexible and provide an online learning option, so that families were not required to take to the roads in what turned out to be stormy, unsafe weather conditions.
Safety is always paramount for UAE schools, says Zafar Raja, Group Chief Operating Officer, GEMS Education:
“The safety of our whole school community is always our number one priority and the measure by which we make decisions regarding onsite or remote learning, alongside guidance by our regulators and the Ministry of Education.
“On occasions when the weather is forecast to be potentially disruptive, or indeed dangerous for our students, teachers, and support staff to travel into school, we will consider switching to remote learning.
“Our school leaders ensure timely communication to parents and staff enabling families to make any required adjustments should rain interrupt the normal school day.”
Zafar Raja, Group Chief Operating Officer, GEMS Education
Sarah O’Regan, Principal/CEO GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis agrees:
“We are lucky that our school building is on relatively high ground, so we don’t suffer from flooding onsite, but many of our students and staff travel from areas which are impacted by road congestion during heavy rain. We don’t want to put our community in any situation that may be unsafe trying to reach school, so we take guidance from our transport company about the conditions of the road across the city, alongside authority guidance.
“When heavy rain is forecast, we ensure all windows and doors are secured and bring lighter-weight outdoor items inside to prevent damage by rain or winds. The main work comes afterwards from our cleaning and maintenance teams, to ensure all outdoors areas are cleared of standing water and are clean and ready for use as soon as possible.”
Sarah O’Regan, Principal/CEO GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis
However, rain can also be a chance to inspire children and teach them about climate and the environment, says Ms O’Regan:
“Rainy days can be fantastic impromptu outdoor learning opportunities. In the past, I used the rainfall to delve into cloud formation and rainfall measurement with my students. We did cloud cover comparisons and set up a rain gauge outside and discussed the different types of clouds that bring rain. It was a fun and engaging way to connect the classroom with what they were experiencing outside. These opportune lessons can enhance student engagement and make learning more memorable.”
Arbor School also uses rainy days as an opportunity to enhance learning, says Principal Brett Girven:
“Significant events like Rainy days in Dubai always provide Provocation for teachers to engage with climate and the environment and weather. For our students, rainy days are certainly days of excitement!
Pictured: Brett Girven, Principal, The Arbor School Dubai
“At Arbor we already have initiatives like “Wet Wednesdays” and “Muddy Mondays” in primary school – So we don’t wait for the rain to come in order to celebrate getting wet and muddy!
“In the Secondary School, along with ecoliteracy and global impact lessons embedded in the curriculum, rainy days at Arbor School are utilized for online lessons in an uninterrupted manner.”
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