What is that draws us to wadis?

The social media showed the videos of the wadis in their different moods.

We could see wadi in Samail gently encroaching the streets and Wadi Yanqul displayed a vortex, giving a glimpse of what and how a whirlpool looks like.

So on display were elements of physics and geography and obviously nature.

A wadi remains dry and sits patiently until the clouds above bring down the water to touch the earth. It seems the soil takes as much as it can as fast as possible because the excess would have to move on, teaching us the fact that we have a limit and then the excess must move on whether it is money or resources.

There are numerous messages conveyed to us general public, not to venture out into the wadis or even go near it while it is flowing.

That is the difference — a flowing wadi is in motion and when something tries to move in it, the wadi takes over. To think the water in the wadi were all just raindrops a few minutes before teaches us the power of unity.

The speed of the wadi may not be recorded often, but the flow of wadi is not maintained like a river because the source is the rain and when it stops, the flow of the wadi will slow down to halt. The wadi will sustain until it has enough water before it is drained down or reaches its destination, the sea or dam.

On the way the water is absorbed and what remains will evaporate when the skies clear up.

It is this factor that makes people want to watch as the wadi puts out its personality even if it means for a few hours. Some of the governorates that are close to Al Hajar Mountains get their share of summer rains thanks to the mountains. But other governorates have been waiting for the rains and so have the wadis. So the low-pressure generated February thunderstorms have been much awaited but it came with advice and precautions.

And one of the major ones was not to approach flowing wadis and to stay away from low-lying areas.

Wadi bashing may be a sport but not during a storm or just after it and that is because one never knows when the water from the mountains might reach the base to intensify the flow.

What we are actually talking about is energy.

When we see the rushing wadi we get a glimpse of hydropower and the process of water cycle. It came from the sky and it must go back but it will also quench the thirst of earth.

In Oman, today there are dams to capture running water as part of the reservoir. And the calmness of the water in the dam is in direct contrast to the running wadi.

These are almost like life lines of fresh water to reach the sea. And it wasn’t until a conference by Oman Water Society it dawned on me that even fresh water springs reach out to sea.

The network of water is more than what we see. The underground water channels created an oasis that was a blessing for settlers and travelers, like the wells in the Empty Quarters.

People have been holding prayers for the rains, a tradition that continues today. They must be experiencing pure joy now.

But what we must realise is that no matter how much the wadi intrigues us, it is important not to approach it while it is on the move. It is not a calculated risk because we are also endangering the lives of rescue operators. When the authorities request us not to venture out until it is necessary, it is a point to dwell on before we choose the action.

But the beauty of water flowing through a wadi for sure is picturesquely capturing and we tend to pick on the pure energy roaring with power.

But in life, timing is everything.

And human psychology is such that we want happy endings. So let the appointment be late, let’s not cross a wadi that is rushing to its destination.

The very nature of a wadi is that it will run. It is neither like a lake that would just fill in calmly, nor like a river that will flow with a consistent momentum.

The flowing wadi might have just been reactivated, but experience has shown us that its currents are unpredictable just like the vortex seen in the wadi of Yanqul.

Let the water run its course. And let us stay safe.