The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was hit by its heaviest rainfall in 75 years on Wednesday. Some areas on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula reported more rainfall in a single day than they usually receive in an entire year.
In Dubai, the UAE’s most populous city, flooding paralyzed traffic, canceled flights at Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, and caused roofs to collapse under the weight of the floods.
Neighboring Oman also suffered unprecedented rainfall, causing at least 20 deaths and widespread property damage.
Social media platforms are abuzz with theories about what caused such catastrophic downpours.
claim: One netizen wrote: “There is something wrong with BoYun(…).” Users on X, formerly Twitter.One Instagram account even asked Could artificial rainfall cause floods in Dubai, or at least make them worse? Many users seem to believe the answer is “yes.”
DW fact check: Incorrect.
Artificial rainfall is an artificial weather modification technique used to induce rainfall. Aircraft are often used to disperse substances such as certain insoluble salts into the air to attract moisture, which then fall to the ground in droplets. It is often used around the world to bring rain to dry areas or prevent hail from forming.
Satellite images show huge storm clouds building up over the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula in the days leading up to heavy rainfall. If used, cloud formation will provide the basis for cloud seeding.
Rainfall in the United Arab Emirates
National Meteorological Center (NCM) A company in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has been conducting research on cloud seeding technology since the late 1990s. The desert country uses artificial rainfall to increase precipitation and, in turn, the amount of fresh water available.
Originally reported by Bloomberg The rainfall was intensified by NCM’s artificial rainfall, but Emirati officials denied taking any such measures. Deutsche Welle contacted NCM but had not received a response at the time of publication.
However, a research team at the University of Hohenheim in southern Germany, which is currently working on a joint project with NCM, did respond.. Team member and meteorologist Oliver Branch wrote that he was not aware of any cloud seeding operations earlier this week.
He added that it was completely unrealistic to imagine that artificial rainfall could produce such heavy rainfall. “The likelihood of a link between cloud seeding activity and flooding in Dubai is close to zero.”
Several media outlets, including Bloomberg, have cited similar views from experts.
Is global warming exacerbating extreme weather patterns?
claim: a social media user write on X That”[t]Impact of global warming and climate change [are] Shocking, no city is spared. Put it more pointedly: “This is man-made #climatechange.”
DW fact check: it’s complicated.
Most climate scientists do see a connection between climate change and heavy rainfall. “Global warming does play a role in extreme weather patterns in many cases,” Imperial College London climatologist Friedrich Otto told DW not long ago.
Asked about recent events in Dubai, she told AFP Global warming is “highly likely” to make rainfall heavier and more damaging.
There’s a simple explanation for this: the warmer the air, the more moisture it can absorb. This is why rainfall in tropical latitudes is heavier than in temperate areas such as Germany. In Central Europe, there is much more rainfall in the summer than around New Year.
Many climatologists agree that global warming is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe, but many, like Sjoukje Philip, a climate scientist at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, point out that “extreme weather has always existed and will always exist. “
False claims about global warming and cloud seeding often arise when heavy rainfall causes flooding, especially in areas like California that are more accustomed to droughts than floodingAustraliaor Türkiye.
This article was originally published in German.
#Fact #check #Dubai #floods #caused #artificial #rainfallDeutsche #Welle #April
Image Source : www.dw.com