Explained: What Caused Heavy Rains & Storm In The UAE?

Severe thunderstorms swept through the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, unleashing an unprecedented deluge on the desert metropolis of Dubai. In a matter of hours, the city received rainfall equivalent to what it typically sees in a year and a half.

The heavy rains caused widespread flooding on major highways and inundated its international airport. The downpour started late Monday, saturating Dubai's landscape with approximately 20 millimetres (0.79 inches) of rain, as recorded by meteorological instruments at Dubai International Airport. By Tuesday morning, the storms had escalated, unleashing more precipitation and hail, overwhelming the city's infrastructure and exacerbating the flooding situation.

The local authorities urged residents to stay as torrential rain, hail and thunderstorms lashed the city on Tuesday. Schools have shifted to online classes and government employees have been asked to work from home.

According to Khaleej Times, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has advised residents of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah to brace themselves for unsettled weather conditions in the coming 48 hours. Heavy rainfall is anticipated in these regions until Wednesday.

What caused the storm and rain?

A meteorology expert from the NCM has confirmed to GRAZIA Middle East that cloud seeding operations had been conducted in the last 24 hours. "Whenever there are clouds in the sky, we conduct cloud seeding operations. From yesterday till today [Tuesday afternoon], we carried out six trips," the website quoted him as saying.

The representative also confirmed that the UAE would experience a decrease in temperatures as a result of the cloud seeding.

"We're seeing a significant drop in temperatures today and on Wednesday, with a decrease of around 10 degrees Celsius," he noted.

The weather expert has also stated that the temperatures are anticipated to rise again once the weather stabilizes, starting from Wednesday evening. Rainy conditions are forecasted for April 17 in the eastern and northern regions of the country, including Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.

What is Cloud Seeding?

Clouds consist of minuscule water droplets or ice crystals formed when atmospheric water vapour cools and condenses around tiny particles of dust or salt suspended in the air. These particles, referred to as condensation or ice nuclei, are crucial for the formation of raindrops or snowflakes and are essential for precipitation to occur.

Cloud seeding is a technique used for weather modification, enhancing a cloud's capacity to generate rain or snow by introducing tiny ice nuclei into specific types of subfreezing clouds. These nuclei serve as a foundation for the formation of snowflakes. Following cloud seeding, the newly formed snowflakes rapidly grow and descend from the clouds to the Earth's surface, bolstering snowpack and streamflow.

For numerous years, the UAE has been at the forefront of cloud seeding efforts to tackle its typically arid climate, augmenting rainfall to support agriculture and address water security concerns.

In the 90s, the UAE started its seeding programme and the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) forged partnerships with international partners such as NASA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the US.