The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi said it has received 250 reports of environmental issues since 2013, seven of which were received last month, reported Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National.

Residents will soon be able to tell how much water and electricity they have consumed and resolve issues within seconds, according to the chief executive of Dubai’s Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).

Saeed Al Tayer said the smart meter would offer valuable and efficient real-time information to customers.

About 83.2 million litres of rainwater have been collected in dams across the country after heavy rain this week.

Sultan Alwan, the assistant undersecretary for water resources and nature conservation at the Ministry of Water and Environment, said the largest amount of rainfall, 53.6mm, was reported in Rakna station, while Khatam Al Shakla station, near the border of Oman, recorded 51.4mm.

Rainwater entered homes and schools in the Northern Emirates, and flooded roads in Sharjah and Dubai on Tuesday, with municipal workers wading knee-deep to clear drains after heavy overnight showers.

Dubai Police repeated warnings to motorists to keep a safe distance between vehicles, after three people died following Monday’s thunderstorm.