UAE receives heaviest rainfall in 75 years

The United Arab Emirates received the most rainfall the dry country has ever recorded on Tuesday, which caused flooding in Dubai. 

The arid nation called the rain a “historic weather event” and the heaviest since it began tracking weather in 1949.

Dubai struggled to recover after it received half a foot of rainfall (two years’ worth for the city), which flooded cities, airports and desert valleys. At least one person died in the UAE, while 19 died in the neighboring Oman, including 10 school children.

Downpour started Monday night (local time), and by Tuesday, Dubai and its International Airport, the world’s second-busiest airport, had received more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall over 24 hours.

The weather event led to flight cancellations and delays for thousands of passengers. The airport is slowly restoring normal operations as flood water still covers portions of major highways and roads.

Dubai lacks storm drains and water catchment areas that will collect excessive water.

In the early hours of the flooding, claims were made that the widespread rain witnessed across the UAE had been caused by “cloud seeding,” among other factors.

Cloud seeding is a type of weather modification where dry ice or silver iodide is dispersed into clouds to boost precipitation. The UAE denied the claims.

So, what happened? Extreme climatic conditions
UAE’s extreme weather event comes as a recent study published in Nature highlights the severe economic repercussions of climate change.

It predicts a staggering 19% reduction in global income over the next 26 years due to extreme weather events like heatwaves, floods and wildfires, exacerbated by climate change.

Another report estimates the lifetime personal cost of climate change for a baby born in the US in 2024 to be as high as $500,000, with price hikes expected in housing, food, energy, transportation and healthcare