Results for: Flooding

The United Arab Emirates has announced a $544 million (R10.7 billion) aid package to repair homes damaged by unprecedented rainfall that brought the oil-rich nation to a standstill. The funds will focus on compensating Emirati families for property damage caused by the floods, which turned streets into rivers, disrupted daily life, and flooded homes.

The deluge, the heaviest in the UAE’s 75-year record, also caused severe infrastructure damage and prompted questions about the effectiveness of the country’s crisis management systems. Experts have linked the extreme weather event to human-caused climate change, highlighting the need for improved preparedness for future disasters.

Nearly half of China’s major cities are facing the risk of subsidence, which could lead to devastating flooding. The threat is compounded by climate change, which is accelerating sea level rise. Experts warn that if left unaddressed, subsidence could displace millions of people and destroy infrastructure. A map shows the fastest-sinking areas.

China is experiencing severe flooding that has claimed the lives of four individuals and prompted the evacuation of over 100,000 people. The flooding in Guangdong has submerged roads, houses, and businesses. Despite a brief respite in rainfall, the water levels remain elevated, and more precipitation is anticipated in the coming days. The flooding has forced residents to wade through knee-deep water to salvage what they can from their damaged properties. Guangzhou, the provincial capital, has recorded the highest monthly rainfall since 1959, raising concerns about water and commodity shortages. Authorities have cautioned against spreading rumors and pledged to maintain market stability. The extreme flooding in Guangdong during April is attributed to climate change, which intensifies rainfall due to the increased moisture capacity of a warmer atmosphere.

**NASA released photos of parts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi before and after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was hit by record rainfall last week that caused dangerous floods and paralyzed much of the country.**

The images, taken by NASA Earth Observatory on Friday using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey, show large patches of water all over the desert and urban landscape of the UAE where previously there was none. Some areas remained flooded on April 19, when Landsat 9 passed over the region for the first time since the storms, NASA wrote on its Earth Observatory website.

Flash floods formed on April 16, engulfing cars and leading hundreds of drivers to abandon their vehicles on roads. The normally dry desert country in the Gulf was pummeled with roughly a year’s worth of rain in less than a day, more than it has ever seen in a single storm since records for the UAE began in 1949.

The deluge closed schools and businesses, grounded hundreds of flights, and destroyed cars, businesses, and other property. It threw daily life into chaos as many residents lost power and running water or were trapped either inside their homes, in airports, or wherever they happened to be when the storm hit.

Montreal is planning to build a “sponge park” in Verdun, a natural green space designed to absorb rainwater and reduce the burden on the city’s underground water infrastructure network, which often struggles to handle large quantities of water during rainstorms and leads to flash flooding.

The Jet Stream is bringing waves of showers and thunderstorms to Oklahoma over the next few days. While heavy rainfall is expected across the state, areas in northeastern and eastern Oklahoma are likely to receive the most significant precipitation, with totals ranging from 2 to 5 inches or higher in some localized areas. Western and northwestern Oklahoma will experience less rainfall. The threat of severe storms is also being monitored, and residents are urged to remain weather-aware and adjust plans accordingly.

Southern China has been battered by record-breaking rainstorms, with cities like Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, and Yangjiang experiencing the brunt of the downpours. Weather observation stations recorded extreme rainfall, with some areas receiving up to 100mm of rain in just three hours. The northern parts of the province had also been severely affected, with floods and landslides displacing over 110,000 people. Despite receding floodwaters in the Bei River, the National Meteorological Center warns of continued storms later in the week. In Shenzhen, authorities issued a red alert, the highest warning level, as heavy rains posed risks of waterlogging, flash floods, landslides, and other disasters. The Guangdong provincial authorities also cautioned about geological hazards during the relentless rainfall. The extreme weather has disrupted travel, with rail services slowing down and flights being delayed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. The past six days have witnessed the heaviest April rainfall in a decade, with 581.9mm of rain recorded between the start of the month and Sunday, the worst in 66 years.

China is facing unprecedented extreme weather events as climate change wreaks havoc on the country. Torrential rains have lashed the southern province of Guangdong, forcing the evacuation of over 100,000 people and raising the highest level of alarm. The relentless downpours have caused widespread flooding, killing four and leaving 10 missing. The rainfall has reached record levels, surpassing the highest monthly volume since record-keeping began in 1959. The Pearl River Delta region, a manufacturing hub and densely populated area, has been particularly hard hit by the sustained torrent. Climate change is a major factor in the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and Asia has been identified as the most affected region in 2023. China, as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued a weather forecast warning of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across the country from April 23 to 29. Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh are expected to be affected by the inclement weather. The heavy rainfall may cause flooding and landslides in some areas.

Emirates Airline has apologized for the chaos at Dubai International Airport, where flooding has stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers. The airline has canceled 200,000 flights and delayed many more. Emirates president Sir Tim Clark has acknowledged the frustration of passengers and said the airline’s response has been far from perfect. The airline has suspended check-in at its hub and for passengers booked to fly in from points around the world. Many travelers are still stuck thousands of miles from home. Emirates is working to clear the backlog of rebooked passengers and bags, and has asked for customers’ patience and understanding.