- Dubai International Airport – worlds busiest for international travel – closed temporarily due to flooding
- United Arab Emirates hit by 14cm of rain in 24 hours – about 18 months’ worth of rain
- In the UAE and neighboring Oman 20 people have died in flash flooding
Record levels of rainfall in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has caused flash flooding around the country and resulted in the temporary closure of Dubai International Airport.
Up to 5.6 inches of rain fell in Dubai on Tuesday – the amount usually expected to fall in 18 months in the Emirate. The thunderstorms that hit Dubai and the wider Gulf region were “a historic weather event” and the worst seen since records were first kept in 1949, according to the state-run WAM news agency.
Dubai International Airport – the busiest airport in the world for international travel – stopped arrivals for a time due to standing water on taxiways, and passengers struggling to reach the airport itself due to flooding in the surrounding area. On X, Dubai International Airport’s official account said that recovery “will take some time” and operations remain severely disrupted – a limited number of inbound flights have resumed.
Many schools in the UAE were shut ahead of the downpour, while many workers were told to work from home.
Across the UAE and neighboring Oman 20 people have reportedly died in flash flooding
However, there is little evidence to suggest that cloud seeding had contributed to the rainfall. While cloud seeding – where aeroplanes fly through clouds burning salt flares to increase precipitation – is conducted in the UAE, only one aircraft linked to it was in the air on the Sunday. In addition, the downpour had been forecast by meteorologists for some days previously.
The UAE’s president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has ordered a review of the country’s infrastructure, asking authorities to assess the damage and provide help to people affected.
