What is the cause of the floods in the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman? Scientists reveal the reason

2024-04-28 2024-04-28T12:36:04Z

Arabia Weather - Recent studies indicate that climate warming , resulting from fossil fuel emissions, was “most likely” behind the record rainfall that struck the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman in the previous period, causing widespread flooding, according to what was announced by the World Weather Reference Network. .

The study reported, according to Agence France-Presse, that heavy rainfall in years witnessing the “El Niño” climate phenomenon has become more abundant by a rate ranging between 10 to 40 percent in the Arabian Peninsula, indicating that climate change is the likely cause, but it cannot Define it "for sure".

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Emirates | Several weather conditions contributed to the extreme rainy situation that affected the country (details)

Heavy rains in the Emirates...an exceptional event that raises questions about the role of rain seeding operations

The UAE was hit by record floods on April 16, which disrupted life in several areas. Torrential waters flooded neighborhoods in Dubai, northern cities, and other areas, as heavy rains in the Emirates caused flights to be canceled, schools to close, and traffic to an almost complete halt.

The National Center of Meteorology announced that the UAE witnessed the largest amounts of rainfall during the past 75 years, as the “Khatm al-Shakla” area in Al Ain recorded 254.8 mm of precipitation in less than 24 hours, which constitutes an exceptional event in the history of the UAE’s climate.

According to reports from CNN, rain fell at a rate of approximately 100 mm in just 12 hours, which is approximately equivalent to what Dubai usually records during an entire year, according to United Nations data.

Bloomberg previously spoke about the role of rain seeding operations in this context, while the Dubai government denied any interference in this matter before the floods.

The Emirates News Agency, WAM, confirmed that cloud seeding operations are carried out by aircraft designated to seed fine materials in specific places in the clouds, which affects the physical processes inside the cloud and contributes to rainfall.

Despite these reports, the center responsible for rain seeding operations in the Emirates denied any interference in the period preceding the storms, confirming to the American network CNBC that no planes were sent before or during the storms.

The UAE has adopted an ambitious program to implement rain enhancement operations since the 1990s, and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in this effort.