PRESIDENT HAILS RESPONSE TO UNPRECEDENTED STORMS
▶ Sheikh Mohamed calls on authorities to ensure safety of public after record downpour
President Sheikh Mohamed has praised the UAE public for demonstrating awareness and responsibility during this week’s storms.
He called on authorities to carry out a survey of the condition of the country’s infrastructure and work quickly to limit the damage caused by the severe weather, which brought more rain than the UAE would normally expect in a year, state news agency Wam reported yesterday.
Sheikh Mohamed said public safety and security was his government’s top priority.
He asked that support be provided to those impacted by the storms, and ordered authorities to move affected families to safe locations.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, also praised the public response to the extreme weather.
“Crises reveal the strength of countries and societies ... and the natural climate crisis that we experienced showed great care, awareness, cohesion and love for every corner of the country from all its citizens and residents,” Sheikh Mohammed said on social media.
“May God protect the UAE and its society and perpetuate its glory, pride and safety.”
Passengers at Dubai International Airport continued to face severe disruption yesterday after the heavy rainfall caused flooding. People were told to travel to the airport only if necessary as several airlines cancelled or diverted flights.
Emirates airline suspended check-in for passengers departing from Dubai until midnight, while Air Arabia announced that all flights to the UAE yesterday had been cancelled or rescheduled. Twenty-one flights to Dubai were redirected to Zayed International Airport.
The airport remained fully operational throughout the stormy conditions.
Traffic was at a standstill on stretches of Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road for much of the day, with some drivers abandoning their cars on the motorway.
Remote learning will remain in place for the rest of the week at all government schools.
Dubai’s government said employees will continue working remotely today and tomorrow.
The UAE has this week been lashed by more rain than it would expect to receive in more than a year.
The National Centre of Meteorology issued a weather map charting how much rainfall was recorded across every area of the country.
Five regions reported at least 200mm of rain – more than double the country’s typical annual rainfall.
The highest amount recorded by authorities was 259.5mm in Khatam Al Shakla, in Al Ain, while 239mm fell in Kalba, an exclave in Sharjah.
The heavy rain, thunder and lightning caused damage and disruption across the country.
An Emirati man was killed in flash floods in Ras Al Khaimah on Tuesday.
The man, who was in his seventies, was killed when his vehicle was swept away by strong currents.
The deluge caused disruption to transport networks and schools across the country, with remote learning to remain in place for the rest of the week at government schools.
“Remote study has been extended for schools in the emirate of Abu Dhabi to Thursday, April 18, and Friday, April 19,” the Abu Media Media Office said on X.
The Dubai government also mandated that all public sector employees will continue to work remotely today and tomorrow owing to the challenging conditions in the emirate.
A similar announcement was made in Sharjah, with authorities urging the public to remain at home.
Travel has been significantly affected by the storms.
Roads leading to Dubai International Airport were blocked or flooded and several passengers missed flights.
Many airlines announced that services were cancelled or diverted after the airport was forced to cease operations for 25 minutes on Tuesday.
Emirates airline suspended check-in for passengers departing from Dubai until midnight, while Air Arabia announced that its flights to the UAE yesterday had been cancelled or rescheduled.
Dubai International Airport yesterday told passengers to travel to Terminal 1 only if their flight had been confirmed.
“Due to crowding, access to Terminal 1 is now strictly limited to guests with confirmed departures,” the airport said on X. “We urge you not to come to Terminal 1 at the airport before confirming your flight status with your airline.
“Rebooking facilities are not available on site.”
Zayed International Airport received 21 flights redirected from Dubai, including 20 passenger services and one freighter flight.
The airport remained fully operational throughout the stormy conditions.
“Despite recent adverse weather conditions, Zayed International Airport remains fully operational,” it said on X yesterday.
“Abu Dhabi Airports is closely collaborating with airlines and service staff to continue serving passengers smoothly.
“Passengers are advised to check their respective airlines’ websites [and] social media feeds ahead of arriving to our airport.”
Transport links across Dubai were also severely affected by the heavy rainfall, with Metro and tram services paused owing to the flooding.
The tram returned to normal service at about 1pm on yesterday, while some Metro stations reopened at about 5pm.
All intercity buses between Dubai and other emirates remain suspended until further notice, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said.
Traffic was at a standstill on stretches of Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai for much of the day, with some motorists abandoning their vehicles. Several exits on either side of the motorway remained waterlogged yesterday.
Some motorists left their cars and began walking as the queues grew. Police were sent to the area to manage traffic flow and ensure public safety.
The Ministry of Interior announced yesterday that efforts were under way to “complete the recovery phase” after the weather eased.
The announcement was made in co-ordination with the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority and the National Centre of Meteorology.
Field work teams will “continue their intensive efforts to ensure the full recovery and the return of life to normal in all affected areas”, a statement said yesterday.
There had been some speculation online that cloud seeding contributed to the stormy weather, but a representative for the National Centre of Meteorology told The National yesterday that no seeding missions were carried out.
“The NCM didn’t conduct any seeding operations during this event,” the weather authority said in a statement.
“One of the basic principles of cloud seeding is that you have to target clouds in its early stage, before it rains.
“If you have a severe thunderstorm situation then it is too late to conduct any seeding operation.
“We take the safety of our people, pilots and aircraft very seriously.”
It said its planes were in the air in the days before the storm, but that the aircraft had only taken samples.
The NCM reaffirmed that it did not conduct cloud seeding operations “during extreme weather events”.
“Some say we are responsible for storms. We are not responsible for this,” an NCM forecaster previously told The National.
“Aircraft do not go inside storm clouds if they are strong or dangerous.
“All we do is try to strengthen some clouds.”
Transport links across Dubai were also severely affected by the heavy rainfall, with Metro and tram services paused
The violent storms and torrential rain that lashed the UAE and neighbouring countries this week have been a sobering reminder not only of the power of nature, but of the effect humanity is having on the planet’s climate. Although life in the Emirates was disrupted as roads were submerged, schools shut their doors and many employees were unable to get to work, it was Oman that bore the brunt of the extreme weather, losing 18 people who found themselves trapped in wadis that quickly flooded.
Sadly, it is not the first time the Middle East and North Africa has been struck by such extreme rainfall: last year, more than 5,000 people lost their lives when Storm Daniel dropped more than 400mm of rain on north-east Libya in less than 24 hours. The divided country’s many difficulties left it woefully unprepared for such a crisis, raising the question: how can nations in this region climate-proof their futures?
The UAE has a good track record of preparedness. In 2017, it invested in the creation of a National Early Warning System in line with a strategic plan development by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority. This brought together government agencies and telecoms companies to develop an alert system for incidents including extreme weather. Even so, this week’s storm cost one life, caused damage to property and had an international ripple effect as Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest, was forced to suspend operations. This highlights the fact that adapting to climate change is a continuing challenge.
It is a challenge that must be met, because such violent weather seems set to stay. The World Meteorological Organisation says every 1°C of global warming is projected to cause a 7 per cent increase in extreme daily rainfall. And there should be no doubt that humanity is fuelling this threat: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report released in 2021, said human-caused rise in greenhouse gases has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
Given the population growth and urbanisation that is taking place in many parts of Gulf and wider Middle East, this week’s floods further highlight the need to take a long-term view of preparing their urban centres. Some cities face a problem in finding ways for floodwater to dissipate. The scale of this task is more daunting that it appears even at first glance, because such changes involve changing the urban environment of a region that for as long as it has been inhabited, has experienced little but heat and sand. In addition, not all countries have the resources to prioritise this preparation.
Indeed, deciding whether to engage in such forward planning is often an unappetising choice for decision-makers. Updating and improving building design, road construction, airport operations and other critical infrastructure is expensive, and it may only have to prove its worth once or twice a year. But there is no way around this – even if climate targets are met, extreme rain and floods will be with us for the foreseeable future.