In Dubai, the amount of rain that fell in one day was equivalent to what typically falls over the course of a year and a half. This unprecedented downpour resulted in the loss of a 70-year-old man’s life, widespread flooding of homes and roads, and disruptions at the city’s airport.
Authorities dispatched tankers to the streets to pump out the water, as many thoroughfares lack drainage systems due to infrequent rainfall. Major shopping malls like the Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates were inundated, and numerous lightning strikes struck the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
The UAE ranks among the countries with the lowest average rainfall globally, experiencing temperatures exceeding 50°C during summer.
This rainfall is the most significant in the last 75 years, with meteorologists attributing its intensity to the artificial rain techniques the country utilizes to combat extreme heat. Since 2002, the UAE has employed a technique called cloud seeding, which consists of deploying small aircraft to disperse salt into the clouds to augment rainfall probability.
The adverse weather affected the entire Arabian Peninsula. In Oman, the toll was devastating, claiming the lives of 18 individuals, including at least nine schoolgirls and their driver. Floodwaters swept away their vehicle on Sunday.
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