The climate threat The skyfalls in the Middle East

Cloudfall in the Middle East

Record rain in Dubai - a year's rainfall in one day

The rainfall in the United Arab Emirates is the heaviest to have hit the country since measurements began to be taken 75 years ago, writes CNN. Some areas have received more than 250 millimeters of rain in less than a day.

Dubai's flights have been cancelled, traffic stopped and schools closed. In less than twelve hours, the same amount of rain fell as the city normally receives in a year. The rain was so heavy that some drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles.

The rain is part of a larger storm moving across the Arabian Peninsula in the direction of the Gulf of Oman. In Oman, at least 18 people have died in floods. School children are reported to have been among the victims.

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The climate threat The skyfalls in the Middle East
Scientists: The climate, not cloud seeding, behind the rain

Information has been spread online that the heavy downpours in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai can be explained by so-called cloud seeding.

It is a technology that Dubai has invested in since 2002 to artificially produce rain and alleviate the drought and extreme heat. As recently as Tuesday, planes took off to spray out salts that are sucked up by clouds whereupon rain forms.

Climate scientists that The Guardian has spoken to rule out a connection between cloud seeding and the heavy rain. It emphasizes that it is not realistic to create downpours from clouds that normally barely produce rain.

The plausible explanation is climate change, according to them.

“Did cloud seeding have an impact? Probably not. Did climate change have it? Probably yes," says climate scientist Daniel Swain in a written comment.