Torrential rains across the United Arab Emirates prompted flight cancellations, forced schools to shut and brought traffic to a standstill.
The heavy rains that caused widespread flooding across the desert nation came after cloud seeding. The UAE has been carrying out seeding operations since 2002 to address water security issues, even though the lack of drainage in many areas can trigger flooding.
The Gulf state’s National Center of Meteorology dispatched seeding planes from Al Ain airport on Monday and Tuesday to take advantage of convective cloud formations, according to Ahmed Habib, a specialist meteorologist.
The NCM on Wednesday said the seeding had taken place on Sunday and Monday, and not on Tuesday. Cloud seeding involves implanting chemicals and tiny particles — often natural salts such as potassium chloride — into the atmosphere to coax more rain from clouds.
With global warming threatening a surge in heat-related deaths in the UAE, Dubai’s media office on Tuesday dubbed the downpours “rains of goodness,” despite flooded houses and overflowing swimming pools.
The latest storms followed heavy rains earlier this year, according to Habib at NCM. The seeding planes have flown seven missions, he added.
“For any cloud that’s suitable over the UAE you make the operation,” he said.
The rain forced Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, to suspend operations for 25 minutes on Tuesday, and disruptions continued into Wednesday.
“Operations continue to be significantly disrupted at Dubai International due to heavy rain and flooding,” a spokesperson for the airport told Bloomberg Tuesday. Emirates, one of the world’s biggest airlines suspended passenger check-ins for the day on Wednesday.
The UAE government issued warnings ahead of the heavy rains, asking people to stay at home and only leave “in cases of extreme necessity.” It later extended remote working until Wednesday for all federal employees.
No comments:
Post a Comment