DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates tried to dry out Wednesday with the heaviest rain on record after a major flood. Dubai International Airport floodeddisrupting flights that pass through the world's busiest airfield for international travel.
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.” That was before oil was discovered in this energy-rich country, which was then part of a British protectorate known as the Truce Province.
Rain also fell in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, heavy rain fell across the UAE.
One possible cause may have been “cloud seeding,” in which small government-operated planes fly through clouds while 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. A plane participating in the UAE's cloud-seeding effort was flying around the country on Monday, according to flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press.
Abu Dhabi's state-run English-language newspaper The National on Wednesday cited an unnamed center official as saying there had been no cloud formations on Tuesday, without confirming any earlier flights.
The center did not respond to questions from The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The UAE relies heavily on energy-intensive desalination plants to supply water, and cloud seeding is also being implemented to increase water supplies. reduced and limited groundwater.
Scientists also say that overall climate change is causing more intense and frequent extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires around the world.Hosted by Dubai United Nations COP28 climate change negotiations Just last year. Rising temperatures and other effects of global warming have long been considered a threat to life in areas where the planet is already warming.
The rain started late on Monday, soaking Dubai's sand and roads with about 20 millimeters (0.79 inches), according to weather data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storm intensified around 9 a.m. Tuesday morning and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail on the overwhelmed city.
By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rain had soaked Dubai in 24 hours. Dubai International Airport, the hub for long-haul airline Emirates, receives 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) of rain each year.
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.
One couple, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely in a country with strict laws criminalizing critical speech, called the situation at the airport an “absolute carnage.” is.
“We can't get a taxi. There are people sleeping at the subway station. There are people sleeping at the airport,” the man said on Wednesday.
They eventually caught a taxi near their home, about 30 kilometers away, but were stopped because the road was flooded. A bystander helped me climb over the highway barrier with my carry-on baggage, and the bottle of gin I picked up at the duty-free shop clinked away.
Dubai International Airport confirmed on Wednesday morning that flights had been affected due to flooding, with “limited access” and flight crews unable to reach the airfield.
“Recovery will take time,” the airport said on social platform X.
Emirates announced that check-in for passengers departing from Dubai itself would be suspended from 8am to midnight on Wednesday to remove transit passengers from the airport. Many of the passengers slept as much as possible in the cavernous terminal.
Passengers on flydubai, Emirates' low-cost sister airline, also faced disruption.
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,” Griffiths told state-run talk radio station Dubai Eye. Told. “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.”
Egypt's national carrier EgyptAir also temporarily suspended flights between Cairo and Dubai due to bad weather.
Schools across the UAE, a federation of seven emirates, were largely closed ahead of the storm, with most government employees working remotely where possible. Many workers stayed at home as well, but some ventured out, with some roads covered in deeper water than expected and vehicles unlucky enough to stall. This included part of Sheikh Zayed Road, a 12-lane highway that runs through downtown Dubai.
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 any overall damage or injury information for the population, some of whom were sleeping in flooded cars Tuesday night. In Ras Al Khaimah, the country's northernmost emirate, police said a 70-year-old man was killed when his car was swept away by floodwaters.
Hatom Al Shakra, near Abu Dhabi's Al Ain, received 254 millimeters (10 inches) of rain on Tuesday, the most in the country, officials said.
Authorities canceled schools and the government reintroduced working from home starting Wednesday. Dubai subsequently closed schools for the remainder of this week.
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 were killed in neighboring Oman, on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. was killed Heavy rains have continued in recent days, according to a statement from the country's National Emergency Management Committee on Wednesday. The victims included about 10 school children who were swept away by cars along with adults, and the region's rulers sent condolences to the country.
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Associated Press writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.