What’s behind heavy rainfall in Dubai

Subject: Geography

Sec: Climatology

Context:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded the heaviest rain ever after a severe thunderstorm hit the country on Monday, killing at least one person, causing damage to homes and businesses, and bringing air travel to a standstill in Dubai.

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Heavy rains are unusual in the UAE, which is an arid, Arabian Peninsula country.
However, they occasionally occur in the region during cooler winter months.

What happened in Dubai?

The thunderstorms began on Monday night and by Tuesday evening had dumped more than 142 millimeters (mm) of rain onto the desert city of Dubai.
An average year sees 94.7 millimeters of rain at Dubai International Airport — the world’s second busiest airport, which recorded more than 80 million visitors in 2023.
The city of Al Ain, which is nearly 130 kilometers (km) away from Dubai, witnessed a record rainfall of 254 mm.
Fujairah, located on the UAE’s eastern coast, saw 145 mm of rain on Tuesday.

What led to the heavy rains in Dubai?

The primary reason for these heavy rains was a storm system, which was passing through the Arabian peninsula and moving across the Gulf of Oman.
Rains could have been exacerbated by cloud seeding, a process of spraying salt mixtures in clouds that would result in condensation of the cloud and eventually cause rainfall.

Is climate change responsible for the event?

Some experts have suggested that the soaring global temperatures could also be behind the event. Higher temperatures cause evaporation of water not only from land but also oceans and other water bodies, meaning a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture.
Studies have found that for every 1 degree Celsius rise in average temperature, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture.
This makes storms more dangerous as it leads to an increase in precipitation intensity, duration and/or frequency, which ultimately can cause severe flooding.
Studies based in India’s Thar desert and Australia’s desert regions have shown that climate change could lead to more rainfall in these areas.
While the average global temperature on the Earth has increased by at least 1.1 degree Celsius since 1850, the UAE has witnessed an increase of almost 1.5 degree Celsius in the past 60 years.
The increase in temperatures is mainly caused by the rise of heat-trapping greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since the Industrial Revolution.
It is extremely difficult to attribute any particular extreme weather event to climate change.
It is because there are multiple factors, like patterns of natural climate variability, such as El Niño and La Niña, that contribute to such events.

What is cloud seeding?

Cloud seeding involves injecting clouds with substances like silver iodide, potassium iodide, or sodium chloride to accelerate cloud microphysical processes.
These substances serve as nuclei around which cloud droplets can form.
The process aims to create larger droplets that can reach the Earth’s surface without evaporating.
Different salts are used to provide cloud condensation nuclei and ice nuclei, essential for forming cloud droplets and ice crystals, respectively.
Cloud seeding is intended to enhance precipitation by promoting the growth of droplets and increasing the likelihood of rainfall.