Heavy rains have caused trouble from UAE to Oman, has tampering with nature proved costly?
Heavy rains in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its surrounding desert areas on Tuesday created a horrific situation. Water was seen everywhere in Dubai, one of the smartest cities in the world. The situation was such that Dubai International Airport had to be closed. Vehicles got stuck in water on the city’s highways and water entered everything from shopping malls to metro stations. According to the Guardian report, the rain started on Monday night and by Tuesday evening, so much water fell as it rains in a whole year and a half. Before the UAE, Oman officials had warned of floods and said that the country had received the highest rainfall in the last 75 years. In such a situation, the question arises that what is the reason for such sudden heavy rain in the desert?
Cloud seeding is being cited as the reason
UAE’s official news agency WAM has called Tuesday’s rain a historic event. This is the highest rainfall in the country since data was collected in 1949. That is, there must have been more rainfall than this before the discovery of oil in the area. Experts are citing interference with nature as the reason behind this. According to a Bloomberg report, the recent rains in Dubai and other parts of the United Arab Emirates and the subsequent floods are linked to cloud seeding in the country.
The United Arab Emirates is located in one of the hottest and driest regions on Earth. The country is a pioneer in using cloud seeding technology to increase rainfall. The main purpose of this technology is to meet the water demand of a growing population and economy, which is diversifying into tourism and other sectors. The UAE started its cloud seeding operation in 2002. It focused on the structure of clouds during a particular period when they are most likely to produce additional rainfall. The Bloomberg report quoted meteorologist Ahmed Habib as saying that recently planes were sent from Al-Ain airport for seeding.
What is cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding is the process that is done to make artificial rain. This process involves adding substances such as silver iodide or potassium iodide to the clouds using aircraft or helicopters. The UAE National Center of Meteorology confirmed that seeding aircraft flew seven times over two days to maximize rainfall.
