Flood conditions persist in Dubai as the city experiences a staggering amount of rainfall equivalent to two years’ worth in a mere 24 hours.
According to the Dubai Meteorological Office, the city of United Arab Emirates experienced a staggering amount of rainfall in a span of 24 hours. Over 6.26 inches of rain poured down between 10 p.m. local time on Monday and 10 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Dubai experiences an average annual rainfall of 3.12 inches. This implies that the city received the equivalent of two years’ worth of rain within a span of just 24 hours.
Dubai International Airport, which is the world’s second-busiest airport, announced on Wednesday that it is currently dealing with operational challenges due to the heavy flooding on its runways. In light of this situation, the airport authorities have advised passengers not to arrive until further notice. The recovery process is expected to take a significant amount of time to ensure smooth operations.
EgyptAir and Iraqi Airways announced on Wednesday that they have temporarily halted flights to and from Dubai due to adverse weather conditions.
Flydubai, the low-cost carrier based in the UAE, has announced the resumption of partial operations on Wednesday afternoon, local time. This comes after a temporary suspension of all flights departing from Dubai. The airline also mentioned that there have been additional flight cancellations.
Due to severe weather conditions, the Dubai International Airport was forced to redirect incoming flights that arrived on Tuesday evening. The airport issued an alert regarding the unusual weather situation.
Due to the weather conditions, all government entities and private schools in Dubai were instructed to work remotely on Tuesday.
Dubai experiences the majority of its annual rainfall, which is more than 92%, between November and March. During the month of April, Dubai usually receives an average of only 0.13 inches of rain.
The United Arab Emirates experienced its most intense rainfall in recorded history on Tuesday, resulting in the unfortunate loss of one life and causing significant damage to residential and commercial properties, as reported by the UAE government.
Severe weather also affected other areas in the Gulf Peninsula. In Oman, for instance, state media reported that at least 19 individuals lost their lives due to intense flooding that occurred over a span of three consecutive days.
Climate change has the potential to amplify the intensity, frequency, and unpredictability of extreme weather events.
