The United Arab Emirates and Oman Face Unprecedented Rainfall and Flooding
Introduction
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman recently experienced record-breaking rainfall and subsequent flooding that led to chaos and posed significant challenges to the countries.
Unprecedented Rainfall
The UAE was hit by an intense storm on Tuesday, which dumped more than a year and a half’s worth of rain in just a matter of hours. This deluge resulted in the flooding of several roads and caused disruptions, including the closure of Dubai International Airport. Neighboring Oman also faced heavy rains and flash floods that claimed the lives of at least 20 people.
State authorities in the UAE revealed that Dubai, a major metropolis in the country, experienced the heaviest rainfall ever recorded, surpassing any data collected since 1949. The UAE, known for its dry desert climate, was the recipient of more than 142mm (5.59 inches) of rain in one day, a shocking amount considering that the typical annual rainfall is approximately 76mm (3 inches).
According to reports, Oman received around 230mm (9 inches) of rain within a few days. The average yearly rainfall in the country’s capital, Muscat, is about 100mm (4 inches).
Causes of the Unusual Rainfall
Social media was abuzz with speculation that the extraordinary rainfall was the result of cloud seeding, a technique that artificially induces rain by manipulating existing clouds. However, experts have dismissed these claims, attributing the surprising weather occurrence to climate change.
Climate scientists have explained that rising global temperatures, primarily caused by human-led climate change, are driving more extreme weather events worldwide. The UAE witnessed record-breaking downpours due to warm water in the surrounding seas, along with exceptionally high temperatures in the atmosphere. These factors enabled the atmosphere to accumulate and release larger amounts of water, resulting in the unprecedented rainfall witnessed in Dubai and the UAE.
Predictable Weather System
The intense storms and unique meteorological events in the UAE and the wider Arabian Peninsula are not uncommon. Recent studies have analyzed similar events throughout the region over the past two decades. The storms are often witnessed in March and April, with some instances of heavy rainfall, including a notable event in March 2016 when 9.4 inches (nearly 240mm) of rain fell in a few hours in Dubai.
Climate scientists also pointed out that the recent extreme rainstorm was anticipated and included in weather forecast models, further supporting the claim that it was not caused by cloud seeding.
Understanding Cloud Seeding
Cloud seeding, a weather modification process, aims to increase rainfall or snow by introducing particles into clouds. These particles serve as condensation nuclei, providing a surface for moisture in the cloud to attach to. Although controversial in the weather community due to varying opinions on its effectiveness, cloud seeding has been employed in several countries, including the US, China, and the UAE, as a response to water shortages.
Cloud seeding cannot create rainfall out of clear sky but must be conducted in clouds with existing moisture. It has been a popular technique in water-stressed regions.
The UAE, for instance, has employed cloud seeding since the 1990s to manage water shortages. Reports that the UAE conducted cloud seeding flights prior to the recent storms have been refuted by the UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology (NCM). The NCM explained that the seeding operations occurred several days before the rainfall and not on the day the storms hit.
Conclusion
The UAE and Oman have recently battled unprecedented rainfall and resulting floods, tested infrastructure, and invited debates about the possible causes of the extreme weather events. Experts and officials have dismissed claims that cloud seeding played a role in the torrential rain, instead pointing to climate change as the key contributor. While cloud seeding remains a debated practice, it is clear that rising global temperatures and climate change are leading to more intense and unpredictable weather patterns worldwide.
