The United Arab Emirates is reeling from the aftermath of the heaviest recorded rainfall in its history, causing widespread chaos and disruption. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, is slowly resuming operations after being severely impacted by the storm.
Passengers faced long delays and disruptions, with some abandoning their attempts to catch flights and heading to nearby hotels. The UAE, known for its arid desert climate, received an unprecedented amount of rainfall, causing flooding in various parts of the country.
The storm, which dumped over 5.59 inches of rain in Dubai in just 24 hours, overwhelmed drainage systems and flooded neighborhoods and major highways. The country’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, pledged to assess the damage and work on restoring infrastructure.
Authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage and the number of casualties. The flooding has sparked discussions about climate change and the need for countries to adapt to more extreme weather events. The UAE’s aggressive cloud seeding program, aimed at inducing rain, has also come under scrutiny, although experts believe the storm was a natural occurrence.
As the UAE grapples with the aftermath of the historic rainfall, other regions in southern Russia and Central Asia are also facing severe weather conditions. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change and its impact on global weather patterns.