On April 15, 2023, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced its heaviest downpour in 75 years, receiving up to 259.5 mm (10.2 inches) of rain. Dubai, the country’s most populous city, was badly hit by the rainfall, which caused widespread flooding and damage.
The rains caused at least one death and extensive damage to homes and businesses, disrupting air travel and bringing the financial hub of Dubai to a standstill. The UAE government has announced $544 million (Rs 4,535 crore) to repair the homes of Emirati families, and a ministerial committee has been assigned to assess infrastructure damage and propose solutions.
The rainfall was the UAE’s heaviest since records began 75 years ago, and it surpassed anything documented since the country’s establishment in 1971. The deluge turned streets into rivers and inundated Dubai’s airport, the world’s busiest for international passengers, leaving thousands of travelers stranded.
In addition to the damage to homes and businesses, the rainfall also caused disruptions to the UAE’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power lines. The government has ordered an urgent review of the country’s infrastructure to identify and address weaknesses that may have contributed to the damage caused by the rainfall.
Climatologists have suggested that the rainfall was likely made heavier by human-caused climate change, which is leading to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The UAE authorities have not yet released an official death toll from the rainfall, but at least four people are known to have died, including three Filipino workers and one Emirati.
Despite the challenges posed by the rainfall, Dubai is slowly returning to its normal pace, with public transport fully functioning and all major roads open to traffic. However, for some residents, like Matthew Faddy, a British expat whose ground-floor apartment was flooded, total recovery is still days away.
Faddy’s apartment near a lake was inundated with water that breached a half-metre wall in his garden. He told AFP on April 24 that the water had finally started to recede, but it would probably take another week for it to be gone completely.
The UAE’s heavy rainfall is a reminder of the growing threat posed by climate change, and it underscores the need for governments to take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change.
