Dubai as UAE Was Break 75 Years History for Heaviest Rainfall

According to a statement released by the state media office on Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates experienced turmoil following the most intense rainfall in 75 years. Certain sections of the country received over 249 millimetres of rain in less than a day.

Rainfall resulted in street flooding, uprooted trees, and destroyed buildings—an unusual occurrence in the Middle East since 1949, when records began. Dubai, a well-known tourist destination, had traffic jams, cancelled flights, and closed schools.

Only over 100 millimetres, or about 4 inches, of rain fell during just 11 hours on Tuesday, according to UN estimates and weather monitoring at airports. This is a much smaller amount of rain than is usually recorded in Dubai over the course of a year.

Because of how quickly and heavily it was raining, some drivers were forced to get out of their cars as floodwaters swelled and turned the roadways into rivers.

The weather was associated with a broad-based storm system that moved into the Gulf of Oman and crossed the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, this cyclone caused exceptionally rainy weather to southeast Iran and neighbouring Oman.

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According to the nation’s emergency management committee, Oman’s abrupt floods brought on by the country’s heavy rains claimed the lives of at least 18 individuals. Among the dead were schoolchildren, the state news agency of Oman reported.

A 70-year-old man was said to have passed away in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, according to a police statement. The man’s vehicles were washed away during the floods.

Rainfall is usually limited in southern Iran and Pakistan during this time of year, but on Wednesday the rain moved further east. 130 millimetres of rain fell at Chabahar, the southernmost city in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran.

Waterlogging caused those trying to drive on the roadways in Dubai’s central district on Wednesday morning to become stuck. Due to blocked roadways, some taxi drivers declined to continue, leaving customers stuck on Dubai’s main thoroughfare.

People who were left stranded were observed wading through flooded streets on improvised rafts made of huge pots while they looked for other ways to get around. Visitors from overseas who had travelled to Dubai for the next week’s Bitcoin symposium were among those who were left stranded.

Operations at the airport were interfered with.
Incredibly, videos showed big planes flying through floodwaters at Dubai International Airport, which was just named the second busiest airport in the world. As the jumbo aircraft were battered by rising waves and splattering water, they seemed to float like ships.

Even after the storm passed, access routes remained blocked by floods, causing delays in airport operations on Wednesday. Among the airlines that announced these delays was Emirates, the flag carrier. All flights operated by low-cost carrier Flydubai were cancelled on Wednesday until 10 a.m. local time.

As delays and diversions persisted on Wednesday morning, Dubai International recommended visitors to “avoid coming to the airport unless absolutely necessary”. A number of airlines, including Emirates, delayed passenger check-in for flights leaving Dubai on Thursday from 8 a.m. local time until midnight because of “operational challenges” brought on by bad rain and poor road conditions.

Traffic for cars and pedestrians was disrupted, delivery services stopped, and many inhabitants of Dubai were unable to leave their houses because the streets were flooded. A social media video that went viral showed locals navigating a flooded residential area, and other inhabitants were seen paddling makeshift boats on flooded roadways outside their homes.

Other videos on social media showed water flooding residential basements and pouring through a well-known mall.

Dispelling myths and highlighting that the rain was artificial precipitation, a UAE National Weather Centre official was quoted by the regional publication The National. The official said that the rain was not created by clouds but rather was man-made. This method involves seeding clouds with materials that eventually assist clouds in producing rain, with the ultimate goal of increasing rainfall in arid or semi-arid regions. Since the 1990s, the UAE has been actively involved in cloud-seeding, and in recent years, this practice has been more frequent.

Dubai’s climate, like that of the Persian Gulf, is hot and dry. Rainfall is therefore in short supply, and the city’s basic infrastructure frequently finds it difficult to withstand severe weather conditions.

Last year, around 134 million people used the airports in the United Arab Emirates, with 85 million of those flights passing via Dubai International Airport. Five airlines have their hubs in the United Arab Emirates, which is home to about 10 million people.

Social media posts featured videos of furniture taking off from balconies. Restaurant furniture was visible drifting on rapid currents in Dubai Marina, an artificial canal encircled by tall towers and posh stores.