Dubai Issues Adverse Weather Warning Following Severe Flooding
Dubai has issued an adverse weather warning just two weeks after the city grappled with severe flooding caused by unprecedented rainfall. The Dubai Police issued a cautionary message on Wednesday evening, urging residents to steer clear of beaches, sailing activities, valleys, and flood-prone areas in light of the upcoming weather conditions.
The warning comes on the heels of a historic rainfall event on April 14-15, during which Dubai experienced its heaviest downpour since 1949. The city was inundated with 14 cm of rainfall within a span of 24 hours, an amount equivalent to a year and a half of typical rainfall. The torrential rain triggered flash floods across the Arabian peninsula, resulting in 19 fatalities in Oman and four in the UAE. Tragically, among the victims were ten school children who lost their lives in Oman due to flooding.
The adverse weather conditions also wreaked havoc on transportation infrastructure, particularly at the Dubai airport, which encountered significant delays and cancellations as a result of flooded runways. This disruption had a ripple effect on air travel, impacting one of the world’s busiest international airports.
Scientists attribute the intensity of the rainfall events to El Niño, a climatic phenomenon characterized by the abnormal warming of surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. El Niño has been linked to heavier rainfall patterns in various parts of the world, including the Arabian peninsula. In El Niño years, heavy rainfall events in the region have been observed to be 10-40 per cent more intense, exacerbating the risk of flooding and associated hazards.
The adverse weather warning underscores the importance of preparedness and vigilance in the face of extreme weather events, as authorities and residents alike remain on alert to mitigate the potential impact of inclement conditions.
