Torrential rains paralyse UAE; At least 6 expats killed

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is witnessing heavy rains and the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), which monitors the weather in the country, has held climate change responsible for the deluge.

According to a report by Reuters, the United Arab Emirates’ Interior Ministry said on Friday that six Asian expatriates had been found dead as a result of recent floods across the country. Field units are continuing to search for another Asian expatriate, the ministry added via a video statement on its Twitter account.

UAE which was known for its desert climate recording very hot summers and mild winters, is now witnessing the alarming impact of climate change as the country is experiencing heavy rains across the Emirates, with Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah being especially affected, ANI reported.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) held climate change responsible for the increased frequency of heavy rains in the Emirates, the report said.

Extreme weather, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts are increasingly to blame. “I believe global warming and climate change are possibly one of the reasons responsible for the increase in the frequency of rains in the UAE. Look at England. It has recorded the highest temperature ever registered recently amid a heat wave that has walloped parts of Europe. So, climate change is evident. Another factor (for rain in the UAE) is the El Nino and La Nina phenomena are climate patterns that can affect weather worldwide, ” The Khaleej Times reported citing the statement by NCM.

Due to La Nina events which push more warm water towards Asia due to strong trade winds, it changes the temperatures of surface waters and the state of the atmosphere, leading to severe weather conditions for several countries, such as Dubai is experiencing at present. Meanwhile, due to severe downpours, non-essential employees working in rain-affected areas in the UAE have been allowed to work remotely on Thursday and Friday, The Khaleej Times reported.

The UAE Cabinet has directed all the federal departments to make arrangements, while the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) issued the same notice to private sector establishments. The Ministry stressed the fact that the period of time workers spend travelling between their homes and workplaces must be calculated within normal working hours.

The decision came after the country witnessed heavy rains, with Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah being especially affected. Moreover, UAE’s oasis city, Al Ain, has also witnessed more rains than usual this summer, an official from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) confirmed.

Furthermore, all the major food delivery apps in the country are facing a tough time and have put out notices about the weather as heavy rains have lashed six emirates and cloudy conditions continue to persist throughout the country. The services are halted because of incessant rains that have hit several parts of Dubai.

The UAE Cabinet on Wednesday directed the formation of an urgent committee headed by the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure to assess the damages caused by the torrential rains and floods across the country, and also instructed the committee to submit a detailed report on the damages caused by floods.

According to the NCM’s five-day forecast issued on Thursday, the weather will be hot during the daytime, but cloudy conditions will persist over the next few days. Convective clouds may cause rains to fall “eastward and may extend over some internal and southern areas”, the forecast read.

(With ANI inputs)