Dubai issues adverse weather warning two weeks after severe flooding

A general view of flood water caused by heavy rains, with the Burj Khalifa tower visible in the background, in Dubai on April 17, 2024. File photo: Reuters/Amr Alfiky

Adverse weather warning has been issued for Dubai two weeks after the city experienced severe flooding due to a record rainfall.

The Dubai Police has urged residents to 'avoid beaches, sailing, valleys and areas prone to floods' in its latest weather alert issued Wednesday evening.

On April 14-15, Dubai recorded its heaviest rainfall since 1949 when the city was battered by 14 cm of precipitation in 24 hours, equivalent to a year and a half of typical rain.

Flash flooding in the Arabian peninsula led to 19 deaths in Oman. Ten school children were among those killed in flooding in Oman while four fatalities were reported in the UAE.

The Dubai airport, which is the world's busiest international airport, faced significant delays and cancellations due to flooded runways.

According to scientists, heavy rainfall events in El Nino years have become 10-40 per cent heavier in the region. El Nino refers to the unusual warming of surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and is associated with heavier rainfall in many regions of the world.
(With PTI inputs)

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