(NEWSLINE PAPER,-) —Wednesday presented a challenging task for the United Arab Emirates as it coped with the fallout from unprecedented rainfall that inundated Dubai International Airport and disrupted international aviation.
Tuesday's torrential rains shattered all earlier records going back to 1949, according to the state-run WAM news agency, which called it a major weather phenomenon. Rainfall particularly strongly hit the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Cloud seeding, in which government tiny planes spew specific salt flares into clouds to promote rainfall, is one of the possible causes of the intense rain. The National Centre for Meteorology apparently conducted cloud-seeding planes before the rain, but when questioned by the media, the center declined to comment.
The UAE utilizes cloud seeding to boost its groundwater reserves and mostly depends on desalination plants for water supply.
The effects and fallout from climate change.
Prominent experts emphasize that severe weather events including storms, droughts, floods, and wildfires are becoming more frequent worldwide due to climate change. Dubai underlined during the UN's COP28 climate talks how urgently global warming must be addressed and how dangerous it is for the local population.
Flight delays and the aftermath.
The worst casualty of the torrential rain was Dubai International Airport, where waterlogged runways delayed both arriving and departing aircraft. Travelers had great trouble navigating water-filled airports; some even made do with makeshift sleeping quarters.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of the airport, acknowledged the special circumstances and emphasized the ongoing efforts to address the issue. Still, the limited transit options that are preventing normal activities are expected to make the recuperation take a while.
Regional Effect and Reaction
Heavy rain also claimed lives in Oman, the UAE's neighboring sultanate; at least 19 deaths were recorded.