Schools and many offices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) closed due to heavy rains on Thursday, just two weeks after record-breaking rainfall that experts tied to climate change.
A lightning storm with strong winds hit overnight, bringing over 50 millimetres of rain in some areas by 8:00 am, according to the National Center of Meteorology.
Flooding occurred in parts of Dubai, including its airport, which cancelled 13 flights and diverted five. Emirates and flydubai airlines warned of delays, prompting schools to switch to remote learning and public-sector offices to shut down.
While significant, Thursday’s rains weren’t as severe as April 16, when record-breaking rainfall caused fatalities, blocked roads, and led to thousands of flight cancellations.
Dubai’s typically busy highways were deserted, with abandoned cars on flooded roads near Ibn Battuta Mall. Trucks were deployed to pump water from flooded areas, highlighting the city’s drainage challenges during heavy rainfall.
Last month’s deluge, which affected Oman, was the UAE’s heaviest since records began in 1949.
Scientists from World Weather Attribution suggested climate change likely worsened the event due to increased global warming from fossil fuel emissions.
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