Dubai floods: Rainstorm brings flash flooding
- Published
A storm has brought heavy rain to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has caused flash flooding. This is a type of flooding which happens very quickly in low-lying land, when water can’t be absorbed quickly enough.
Flights to Dubai Airport, which is the world’s busiest international airport, were temporarily diverted due to the “continued exceptional weather”. Flights to the airport are now back up and running as normal.
The UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology issued a weather warning for large parts of the country including Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Some of the states have had nearly a year’s worth of rain in just a day.
The UAE is usually known for its hot and dry weather, but heavy rains have been causing flooding more frequently in recently. Scientists say this could be because of climate change.
Experts believe storms like this will become more common as the planet warms up. They say for every 1C rise in average temperature, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture which can result in heavier rain.
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