Dubai Still Half Paralyzed

The United Arab Emirates is one of the driest locations on earth. The country is a pioneer in the cultivation of rain clouds.

AFP/GIUSEPPE CACACE

A taxi drives through floods in the middle of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on April 17, 2024. Dubai, the financial center of the Middle East, was hit by heavy rain that triggered a massive flood.

DUBAI, THURSDAY — The city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is still half paralyzed due to two days of devastating wind rain that triggered flooding. As of Thursday (18/4/2024), flights at Dubai International Airport, the busiest airport in the world, were still disrupted.

Cars are still stuck on flooded roads. The rainfall during those two days is equivalent to a year and a half worth of rainfall in normal conditions.

The WAM news agency stated that the rain on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 was a historic event since weather recordings in Dubai began in 1949. The rain had been pouring in Dubai since Monday evening local time with a rainfall of 20 millimeters, starting to flood streets and sand dunes.

On Monday night, rainfall reached 142 millimeters. For comparison, the annual rainfall recorded at Dubai International Airport is 94.7 millimeters.

The Dubai International Airport authorities said that services were disrupted after rain caused puddles on the runway. The airport began accepting passenger arrivals at Terminal 1, which is used by international airlines. Some scheduled flights are still experiencing delays or disruptions.

Also read: Dubai Tries to “Dry Itself” After Worst Floods

AP PHOTO/CHRISTOPER PIKE

Cars abandoned by residents because they were submerged in floodwater on the Sheikh Zayed expressway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday (18/4/2024).

The local newspaper, Khaleej Times, reported that many residents abandoned their vehicles which were stuck in puddles of water on the road. "I was forced to leave my car on the road because the water level continued to rise," said one resident.

Bad weather in Dubai not only triggers floods but also results in the interruption of electricity and flight disruptions. Runways and roads are flooded with water flowing like a river.

United Arab Emirates President Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan stated that the safety and security of citizens are the government's top priority during the current disaster response. He directed assistance for disaster victims and ordered the evacuation of affected families to safe areas. He also ordered an immediate assessment of infrastructure suitability in Dubai.

Also read: Dubai Submerged in Floods

The UAE Meteorological Center has denied allegations that weather engineering in the form of cloud seeding triggered the rainstorm that hit Dubai. “There is no cloud seeding,” said Habib Ahmed, senior meteorologist at the United Arab Emirates Weather Station.

He urged residents not to believe in false information circulating. Weather experts believe the situation will improve in the next few days, although there may still be cloudy weather.

Reportedly, the bad weather also resulted in 20 fatalities in Oman, a neighboring country of the United Arab Emirates. Previous rain and storms hit Oman before moving towards Dubai.

AP PHOTO/CHRISTOPER PIKE

Residents cross puddles of water on the Sheikh Zayed toll road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday (18/4/2024).

The United Arab Emirates is one of the driest locations on earth. The country is one of the pioneers in seeding clouds to trigger rain. The suspicion that climate change is triggering rainstorms in Oman and Dubai is of concern to researchers.

According to a weather forecaster at the UAE Meteorology Center, Esraa Alnaqbi, low pressure in the upper atmosphere coupled with low pressure on the surface of the earth creates pressure in the air. This pressure creates an extreme difference in temperature between the hot air on the surface and the cool air in the upper atmosphere, triggering stormy rain.

The abnormal phenomenon is not impossible to occur in April because during the transition period, air pressure changes drastically. He suspects that climate change could also be a trigger for such extreme weather conditions.

"The rains from storms in the United Arab Emirates in recent days have appeared to intensify, followed by hot air. This is happening more frequently on a warming planet," said Dim Coumou, an expert on extreme weather at Vrije University Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Gabi Hegerl, a weather expert at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, stated that extreme rainfall in the United Arab Emirates and Oman will occur regularly in many places as a result of climate change. (Reuters)