Summary

Dubai has faced its most severe storm in over 75 years, with an unprecedented downpour of 10 inches in towns like Al Ain alone. As Dubai begins its recovery, the aftermath of the storm has opened up critical discussions on the impacts of climate change, which is believed to be leading to more frequent and intense weather events globally.

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Dubai has faced its most severe storm in over 75 years, with an unprecedented downpour of 10 inches in towns like Al Ain alone. The rainfall is the heaviest since records began in 1949 and has destroyed streets, crippled transport systems, and led to widespread chaos across the United Arab Emirates and neighboring country Oman.

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The storm first hit Oman on Sunday and then unleashed its full fury on the UAE by Tuesday, causing significant destruction and loss of life. It has led to at least 21 deaths in Oman and another in the UAE, where an elderly man's vehicle was swept away. The catastrophic event forced the closure of government offices and schools as well as extensive power outages.

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Residents described the scenario as apocalyptic. The storm, composed of four massive cloud clusters driven by powerful jet streams, tested Dubai's infrastructure, revealing vulnerabilities in a city famed for its architectural marvels but not equipped for such rare weather events. The UAE reported that over half a foot of rain came crashing down on their citizens between Monday and Tuesday. To put that into perspective, Dubai typically only receives a little over 3 inches of rain every year.

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The floods, worth 2 years of rainfall, have sparked widespread discussion about the adequacy of urban planning and infrastructure in regions unfamiliar to such heavy rainfall. Despite frequent cloud seeding, a scientific technique to artificially enhance rainfall, authorities confirmed that no seeding operations were conducted before the storm. Instead, experts attribute the severe weather to a combination of natural atmospheric conditions exacerbated by climate change.

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Esraa Alnaqbi, a senior forecaster at the UAE's National Centre of Meteorology, explained that the unusual weather pattern was due to a 'squeeze' caused by low pressure at the surface and in the upper atmosphere. This squeeze, intensified by the contrast between warmer ground temperatures and colder air aloft, facilitated the formation of the powerful storms.

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As Dubai begins its recovery, the aftermath of the storm has opened up critical discussions on the impacts of climate change, which is believed to be leading to more frequent and intense weather events globally. Climatologists have emphasized that a warmer atmosphere, such as the UAE, can hold more moisture naturally resulting in heavier rainfall when conditions are ripe. The reality of these changes calls for urgent reviews and enhancements of weather preparedness and infrastructure, particularly in areas like the UAE and Oman, which may face increasing risks from extreme weather patterns in the future.

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Our love and support goes out to all those affected by the storm.

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Dubai sees severe flooding after getting 2 years' worth of rain in 24 hours | ABC News

United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation | AP News

Dubai faces massive clean up after deluge swamps glitzy desert city | Reuters

What caused Dubai floods? Experts cite climate change, not cloud seeding | Reuters

United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation

'Apocalyptic' Dubai floods shake picture-perfect city | BBC