Monsoon-loving expats chase rain in UAE

MUHAMMED Sajjad missed his native Kerala’s monsoon season so much when he moved from India to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a decade ago that he embarked on an unlikely quest - finding rain in the desert.

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Using satellite imagery, weather data and other hi-tech tools, the amateur meteorologist tracks potential rainfall spots across the desert country and, along with other Indians nostalgic for the monsoon, chases the clouds in search of rain.

"When I came to UAE in 2015 it was peak monsoon time" in Kerala, the 35-year-old estate agent said, adding that he had struggled to adjust to the change of climate.

"So I started to search about the rain in the UAE and I came to know that there is rain in the summer.

"I started to explore the possibility" of chasing it to "enjoy the rain".

Each week, he forecasts when and where rain might fall and posts a suggested rendezvous to his 130000 followers on "UAE Weatherman" on Instagram.

He regularly posts footage of his rain expeditions into the desert, hoping to bring together “all rain lovers who miss rain”.