dubai, united arab emirates — The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates was hit by the worst on record in the country Wednesday after heavy flooding inundated Dubai International Airport, disrupting travel through the world's busiest international traveler airfield. I tried to dry off from the heavy rain. The state-run WAM news agency said Tuesday's rain was a “historic weather event” that surpassed “any weather event recorded since data collection began in 1949.”
The rain started late Monday, drenching Dubai's beaches and roads with about 0.79 inches of rain, according to weather data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storm intensified around 9 a.m. local time on Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail on the overwhelmed city.
Floods affect Dubai International Airport
By the end of Tuesday, more than 5.59 inches of rain had soaked Dubai in 24 hours. Dubai International Airport, a hub for long-haul airline Emirates, averages just 3.73 inches of rainfall.
At the airport, standing water washed onto the taxiway as planes landed. Arrivals were suspended on Tuesday night, with passengers struggling to reach the terminal through floodwaters covering surrounding roads.
Giuseppe Casace/AFP/Getty
The airport stated: series of social media posts It said all flights would be suspended for about 25 minutes on Tuesday afternoon, after which all incoming flights would be diverted “until weather conditions improve.” Late Wednesday morning, the airport and flagship airline Emirates were still warning travelers not to come to the airport unless absolutely necessary, and that check-in for all flights remained suspended. Stated.
“Flight delays and diversions continue. Please check flight status directly with your airline,” the airport said in a tweet. “We are working hard to restore operations as quickly as possible under extremely difficult circumstances.”
One couple, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in a country with strict laws criminalizing critical speech, called the situation at the airport an “absolute carnage.”
“We can't get a taxi. There are people sleeping at subway stations. There are people sleeping at airports,” the man said on Wednesday.
They ended up taking a taxi near their home, about 29 miles away, but were stopped by flooded roads. A bystander helped me climb over the highway barrier with my carry-on, and the bottle of gin I bought at the duty-free shop clinked away.
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Airport chief executive Paul Griffiths confirmed flooding continued to be an issue on Wednesday morning and said all safe spots for aircraft parking had been occupied. Some aircraft had been diverted to Dubai World Central's Al Maktoum International Airport (Dubai World Central's second airfield).
“These are still incredibly difficult times. I don't think anyone has ever seen a situation like this in living memory,” Mr Griffiths told state-run talk radio station Dubai Eye. Ta. “While we are in uncharted territory, I can assure everyone that we are fully committed to ensuring our customers and staff are taken care of.”
Did “cloud seeding” contribute?
Rain also fell in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, heavy rain fell across the UAE. One reason may have been “cloud seeding,” in which small government planes fly through clouds burning special salt flares. These flares can increase precipitation.
Some reports quoted a meteorologist at the National Weather Center as saying that there were six or seven cloud seeding flights before the rain. The center did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday, but one aircraft participating in the UAE's cloud-seeding effort was flying around the country on Sunday, according to flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press.
The UAE relies heavily on energy-intensive desalination plants to supply water. We will carry out cloud seeding In part, to augment dwindling and limited groundwater.
Schools closed across UAE due to flooding
Schools across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is made up of seven sheikhdoms, were largely closed ahead of the storm, and most government employees were forced to work remotely where possible. Many workers stayed at home as well, but some of the roads were deeper than expected, and some workers were unlucky enough to have their cars stall, forcing them to venture out.
Abdel Hadi Ramahi/Reuters
Authorities sent tanker trucks to streets and highways to pump out water. Water flooded into some houses, forcing people to save their homes.
The country's hereditary rulers did not provide information on damage or injuries across the country as some people slept in flooded cars Tuesday night. In Ras Al Khaimah, the country's northernmost emirate, police said a 70-year-old man had died after his car was swept away by floodwaters.
The heaviest rain fell on Tuesday in the eastern emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with 5.7 inches of rainfall.
Authorities canceled schools and the government reintroduced working from home starting Wednesday.
Rain is rare in the UAE, an arid country on the Arabian Peninsula, but it does rain regularly during the cold winter months. Due to the lack of regular rain, many roads and other areas lack drainage, causing flooding.
Meanwhile, at least 19 people have died in neighboring Oman on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula after heavy rains in recent days, the country's National Emergency Management Committee said on Wednesday. The victims included about 10 school children who were swept away by cars along with adults, and the region's rulers have expressed their condolences.
Abdel Hadi Ramahi/Reuters
Climate scientists have long warned that it is human-driven. climate change supplying fuel more extreme and unpredictable weather events around the world.
Southern Russia and parts of central Asia have also been suffering days of unusually damaging rainfall and snowmelt, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee to higher ground. killed over 60 people in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
