Deadly Storms in Dubai and Oman Linked to Climate Change

(CTN News) – Scientists believe that climate change exacerbated the deadly storms that flooded Dubai and killed more than 20 people in Oman.

Human-caused heat increased rainfall by 10-40%, according to reports.

El Niño, a natural weather pattern, also contributed to the storms’ intensity.

Scientists warn that the region’s relationship to climate change is not completely certain because its rainfall is rare, leaving them with little data to work with.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution Group conducted the investigation. The experts also stated that how cities were built exacerbated the storm’s effects.

Dubai Records Historic Rainfall with Over 250mm in 24 Hours

In Dubai, some regions received more than 250mm of rain in less than 24 hours, breaking all records for daily rainfall in the 75 years since records began.

The country receives an average of 140-200 mm rainfall yearly, compared to Dubai’s 97mm. The monthly average for April is only around 8mm.

When the storm arrived on April 15, it killed at least 20 people in Oman and four in the UAE. Dubai International Airport, the world’s second busiest, was forced to cancel hundreds of flights.

El Niño, a phenomenon when warm waters rise to the surface of the Pacific Ocean, contributed to months of above-average sea surface temperatures.

Higher ocean temperatures increased atmospheric moisture, making heavy rainfall more likely.

The scientists also decided that cloud seeding, which manipulates clouds to produce more rain, had no “significant influence” on the disaster.

Scientists worldwide agree that climate change caused by burning coal, oil, and gas is raising global temperatures and creating more extreme weather, including storms.

However, due to variability in weather patterns, it might be difficult to attribute specific events, such as a single storm, to climate change.

Scientists analyze years of meteorological data in a specific location to uncover the solution to identify trends. They also employ computer models to compare a world without global warming to our current world, which has warmed by 1.2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times.

Without a large amount of data, such as rainfall information, it might be difficult to identify trends and draw firm conclusions.

However, the fundamental physics of global warming remains unchanged, indicating that a hotter atmosphere would result in more violent storms and rainfall, explains Professor Friederike Otto of Imperial College London.

“We are very confident about the link to climate change.” The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) studies indicate that rainfall intensity in the region would increase in the future,” she explained.

Prof Otto further stated that this study was one of the most difficult for the World Weather Attribution group to complete due to data shortages.

According to Roop Singh of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, how the Gulf towns were designed exacerbated the storm’s impact on individuals.

Cities built without sufficient storm control and exceptionally dry soils in the region that struggle to absorb excess water result in 85% of the UAE’s population living in flood-prone areas.