Dubai Government’s Response to Record Rainfall and Natural Crises

The Gulf state had its greatest rainfall in the 75 years that records have been kept during this period. They did great damage and brought much of the country to a stop.

TFD – Dive into Dubai’s response to record rainfall and unexpected weather conditions. Discover how the government is implementing comprehensive plans to address natural crises and their impact, amidst growing concerns about climate change effects. Stay updated on the latest developments and initiatives aimed at ensuring the region’s resilience and preparedness for future challenges.

The desert metropolis of Dubai, which takes pride in its modern sheen, was busy on Thursday drying out flooded homes and clearing saturated roadways following a record storm that dumped a year’s worth of rain in a single day.

Major transport hub Dubai International Airport was having trouble getting through a backlog of planes, and several roads remained waterlogged following Tuesday’s torrential downpour.

The United Arab Emirates had its most rainfall in the 75 years that records have been kept. They did great damage and brought much of the country to a stop.

Residents were stuck in cars, offices, and residences due to flooding. Numerous people reported having leaks in their homes, while social media users shared videos of water dripping from rooftops in malls.

The disruption to traffic persisted. A highway through Dubai was reduced to a single lane in one direction, while the main road that connects Dubai with the capital Abu Dhabi was closed in the Abu Dhabi direction.

There was nothing like this. British resident of Dubai Jonathan Richards told Reuters, “It felt like an alien invasion.”

“It was people in kayaks with suitcases and pet dogs and cats outside my house when I woke up the other morning.”

Rinku Makhecha, a different resident, claimed that the rain flooded her newly remodeled home, which she had moved into two weeks previously.

“Right now, everything in my living room seems to be floating,” the woman remarked.

Some cars, including buses, were nearly completely immersed in water on Dubai’s streets. Long lines grew at gas outlets.

Following the storm’s flooding of taxiways, which resulted in flight delays, cancellations, and diversions, Dubai Airport has not yet resumed regular operations.

Majed Al Joker, the chief operating officer of Dubai Airports, stated to Al Arabiya TV that he anticipated Dubai International Airport to operate at 60–70% capacity by Thursday night and at full capacity in less than a day.

With surrounding roads submerged and crowds restricting entry for those with confirmed reservations, the airport battled to provide meals to trapped travelers.

Following its Sunday impact on neighboring Oman, the storm pummeled the UAE on Tuesday, leaving one person dead there and twenty in Oman.

Delivery services gradually started returning to the streets in Dubai, where people are accustomed to ordering things with a mouse click, even if several roads into the hardest-hit districts are still inundated.

In the United Arab Emirates and other parts of the Arabian Peninsula, where the weather is usually arid and desert-like, rain is uncommon. Temperatures in the summer might rise above 50 degrees Celsius.

Following Tuesday’s occurrences, speculation arose as to whether the massive rains were caused by cloud seeding, a procedure that the UAE regularly uses.

However, climate researchers attribute these extreme weather occurrences to global warming.

Researchers predict that higher temperatures, more humidity, and an increased danger of floods in some areas of the Gulf region will result from climate change. The most vulnerable are nations like the United Arab Emirates, which lack the drainage infrastructure necessary to handle prolonged downpours.

An UAE government organization in charge of cloud seeding, which is the technique of influencing clouds to produce more rainfall, denied carrying out any such activities before to the storm.

In a statement, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said he had given the go-ahead for authorities to evaluate the damage and offer assistance to storm-affected people.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, stated on X that everyone’s safety, including locals and guests, comes first.

“We established directives to prepare comprehensive plans in response to natural crises, such as the unexpected current weather conditions,” he said following a meeting with government officials in Dubai.