“Dubai remains in turmoil following relentless downpours, causing widespread paralysis across the city over the past 48 hours. The aftermath of heavy rainfall continues to pose significant challenges for residents and authorities alike.”
According to the state-run WAM news agency, Tuesday’s rain was labeled as a “historic weather event,” surpassing any recorded precipitation since data collection began in 1949. This exceptional rainfall has marked a significant milestone in Dubai’s weather history, highlighting the unprecedented nature of the recent downpour.
Based on meteorological data gathered at Dubai International Airport, the city experienced an astonishing amount of rainfall between Monday and Tuesday, equivalent to what it typically receives over a year and a half. This staggering accumulation underscores the extraordinary intensity and duration of the recent weather phenomenon, emphasizing the scale of the challenge faced by residents and authorities in managing its aftermath.
Torrential rains commenced late Monday, saturating the sands and roadways of Dubai with approximately 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) of rainfall. The deluge intensified throughout Tuesday, culminating in an unprecedented accumulation of over 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) by day’s end. To put this into perspective, the average annual rainfall at Dubai International Airport typically amounts to 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches). This dramatic disparity underscores the magnitude of the recent weather event, as Dubai grapples with an unprecedented inundation surpassing its yearly average within a mere 48-hour period.
Operations at Dubai Airport, a major travel hub, remained disrupted after Tuesday’s storm flooded the runway, reported Reuters.The airport said that while it has resumed receiving inbound flights at Terminal 1, which foreign carriers use, several other flights continue to be delayed and disrupted. Khaleej Times reports that several individuals abandoned their vehicles as water levels swelled in the city.”I watched helplessly as the water level kept rising, submerging my car,” a resident told the newspaper. The National Center of Meteorology of UAE, meanwhile, has refuted reports citing cloud seeding as the reason behind the heavy rainfall in Dubai and other parts of the country.“No, there was no cloud seeding done,” Dr Habib Ahmed, a senior meteorologist at the weather station told Gulf News. He also urged people not to believe the misinformation being spread.
