In Dubai, the economic capital of the United Arab Emirates, some residents marvel at the rain that has been falling in abundance for a few days. “It had been two years since I had seen a drop of rain”, says Thibaud, a French resident of the emirate, with a smile.
The country is affected by unusual bad weather. In just seventy-two hours, the equivalent of eighteen months of precipitation fell in the Emirates – regarding 150 millimeters in some areas. Usually, winter is a mild season – temperatures oscillate between 20 and 25 ° C -, during which the rainy episodes are brief and rare.
Salt crystals injected into the clouds
According to an official from the National Meteorological Center, this precipitation was amplified in the Emirates by “Cloud seeding”. This technique, which has been used for years in the country, of injecting salt crystals into clouds, helps increase the amount of rain – not create it. Authorities have confirmed that planes have been deployed in an attempt to bring in more rain. In 2021, 299 such operations were carried out across the UAE.
In the Emirates, the daily life of the inhabitants was quickly disrupted by the bad weather. On social networks, many Internet users shared the day following the New Year’s festivities the images of the material damage caused to their homes by this heavy rainfall.
Many roads were also flooded in the absence of a drainage system, due to the scarcity of rains. Municipal services have stepped up interventions to pump water, help stranded people and streamline traffic. Several entertainment venues in Dubai had to close their doors on Sunday January 2.
Omanis drowned in wadis
This Monday, January 3, the UAE power renewed calls for vigilance, in particular for motorists. The authorities of the other Gulf countries, also affected by this natural meteorological phenomenon, have done the same.
In Kuwait, for example, classes and exams have been postponed for one day in public and private schools. In the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pilgrims walked in heavy rain around the Kaaba, in the heart of the Great Mosque of Mecca. Bahrain and Qatar are also under water. In these countries, however, no casualties are to be deplored.
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On the other hand, the situation is more serious in Oman since an official of the Omani police force announced the death of six people during the night of December 31 to 1.is January. The victims drowned in the overflowing wadis as some towns were cut off by the floods.
In October 2021, the Sultanate of Oman had already been confronted with a meteorological phenomenon of a strong intensity. With winds sometimes reaching 150 km / h, tropical cyclone Shaheen killed eleven people in the Arabian Peninsula country. Bad weather in the Gulf is expected to last through the weekend, according to several national weather agencies.
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