Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- The United Arab Emirates grappled Thursday with the aftermath of the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation. Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, began allowing global carriers to fly into Terminal 1, although flights continued to face delays and disruptions. The long-haul carrier Emirates, which had halted check-ins for departing flights amid the storm, lifted the order to allow passengers into the airport.
The UAE, known for its arid desert climate, typically experiences minimal rainfall. However, a massive storm forecasters had warned about for days swept through the country's seven sheikhdoms. By the end of Tuesday, Dubai had received over 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall within 24 hours, far surpassing its average annual precipitation. Other parts of the country experienced even heavier rainfall.
The intense downpour overwhelmed the UAE's drainage systems, leading to widespread flooding in neighborhoods, business districts, and sections of the Sheikh Zayed Road highway. The state-run WAM news agency described the rainfall as a "historic weather event," unprecedented since the start of data collection in 1949.
In a late Wednesday message to the nation, Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan vowed to assess infrastructure damage promptly and mitigate its effects. As residents waded through oil-slicked floodwaters to retrieve abandoned vehicles, tanker trucks equipped with vacuums began reaching affected areas outside Dubai's downtown core. Schools remained closed until the following week.
The flooding prompted speculation about the UAE's cloud seeding efforts, aimed at inducing rainfall, contributing to the deluge. However, experts noted that the storm systems responsible for the rainfall were forecasted well in advance and that cloud seeding alone could not have caused such extensive flooding.
Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections, attributed the flooding in Dubai to an unusually strong low-pressure system that generated multiple rounds of heavy thunderstorms. Scientists also emphasized the role of climate change in intensifying extreme weather events globally, including storms, droughts, floods, and wildfires.
The heavy rains served as a warning for countries in the wider Persian Gulf region to prepare for climate-related challenges, with Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper urging efforts to "climate-proof" urban environments in the face of changing weather patterns.