UAE reels from the record-breaking storm for a third day
The impact of this week’s record-breaking storm, which brought most of the nation to a stop, was still plaguing the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
After Tuesday’s rain flooded the runway in Dubai, operations at the airport, a key hub for travel, are still hampered, leading to flight delays, cancellations, and diversions.
The airport reported on Thursday morning that while international airlines are again able to receive incoming aircraft at Terminal 1, there are still delays and disruptions in the air.
The airport’s main airline, Emirates, said that it would start accepting passenger check-ins in Dubai at 9 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Thursday, nine hours later than originally scheduled.
Due to flooding, the airport’s surrounding roads were impassable, making it difficult for stranded travelers to procure food, while congestion prevented entry for those with confirmed reservations.
Following its Sunday landfall in neighboring Oman, the storm pummeled the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, producing hours-long traffic jams due to rains inundating houses and flooding highways. In the UAE, one person was reported deceased, and in Oman, twenty.
As the UAE had its highest rainfall in the 75 years that records have been maintained, flooding trapped citizens in cars, workplaces, and houses, according to officials.
Additionally, officials have ordered government workers and students to remain inside until flooded roadways are cleaned.
Climate scientists argue that as a result of human-caused climate change, there are more severe weather occurrences occurring globally, like the storm that hit Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Climate scientist Colleen Colja of Imperial College London stated, “It’s likely that the storm was kind of supercharged by climate change because there’s just more moisture available in the air for any storm system to then precipitate out.”
Researchers predict that higher temperatures, more humidity, and an increased danger of floods in certain areas of the Gulf region will result from climate change. In nations like the United Arab Emirates, where there is inadequate drainage infrastructure to handle severe rainfall, the issue may become worse.
The government agency in charge of cloud seeding in the United Arab Emirates refuted reports that any cloud-manipulation activities were conducted prior to the storm.
President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a statement late on Wednesday, according to the UAE official news agency, directing authorities to evaluate the damage and provide assistance to storm-affected households.
