Authorities and communities across the United Arab Emirates are grappling with the aftermath of a rare torrential storm that has caused significant damage and claimed at least one life.
The heavy rain, which began late on Tuesday, resulted in record-breaking precipitation with 254 millimeters falling in less than 24 hours in Al Ain, a city on the UAE-Oman border, as reported by the national meteorology center. This marks the highest rainfall since record-keeping commenced in 1949, well before the formation of the UAE in 1971.
Emergency workers have been tirelessly working to clear debris and drain flooded roads across the country. However, the full extent of the damage remains unclear as recovery efforts continue.
The UAE's inadequate drainage infrastructure struggled to cope with the heavy downpour, leading to partially submerged roads—an uncommon sight given that such intense rainfall typically occurs only a few times a year.
The storm has also sparked discussions around cloud seeding operations, which the UAE frequently conducts to increase rainfall. A forecaster from the national meteorology center has denied any recent cloud seeding efforts, despite Bloomberg reporting that seven cloud seeding operations took place days before the storm.
Climate scientists attribute the severity of the UAE storm to rising global temperatures driven by man-made climate change, which are leading to more extreme weather events, including intense rainfall.
Reference(s):
Clean up begins after at least one dead in heavy UAE rain, floods
cgtn.com
