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Date | 16 April 2024 |
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Location | Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi and the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah |
Cause | Heavy rains |
Deaths | 5 |
On 16 April 2024, heavy rains caused floods in the United Arab Emirates, affected cities of mainly Dubai and Sharjah, the northern Emirates, and various areas of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. [1] According to the National Center for Meteorology (United Arab Emirates), this was the country's heaviest rainfall recorded in 75 years. [2] [3] [4] The floods in the Emirates were a part of the greater Persian Gulf floods. [5]
The rains began in UAE late on Monday, 15 April 2024, intensifying the next day on Tuesday, 16 April 2024, and officially concluding on Wednesday, 17 April 2024. [6] The UAE witnessed a record-breaking rainfall in a 24 hour period, surpassing Emirati meteorological data since records began in 1949. According to the National Centre of Meteorology, the highest rainfall was recorded in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain, reaching 254.8 mm (10.03 in) in less than 24 hours. [7] Widespread flooding was reported in all seven emirates. [8] Ahead of the flooding, an estimated rainfall of 40 mm (1.6 in), up to 100 mm (3.9 in) was estimated in some parts of the UAE. [9]
Five people were confirmed dead; [10] Three Filipinos, an Emirati elderly man, [11] and a Pakistani man in his 50s who drowned after the municipality tanker he was driving was swept into a wadi. [12]
Dubai Metro services were severely impacted, leaving around 200 commuters stranded at several stations. MA highway through Dubai was reduced to a single lane in one direction, while the E11 Road that connects Dubai with the capital Abu Dhabi was closed in the Abu Dhabi direction. [13] Intercity bus service on the Dubai - Abu Dhabi, Dubai - Sharjah, and Dubai - Ajman routes were suspended [14] [15]
A total of 1,244 flights at Dubai International Airport were cancelled over a two-day period with 41 diverted. All Flydubai flights scheduled for departure on 16 April from Dubai were cancelled. At the Dubai airport, a total of 164 mm (6.45 in) of rain fell. [16] [17] [18] [19]
The Emirati National Center for Meteorology had issued various orange and yellow warnings for heavy rainfall and strong winds. [20] [21]
The United Arab Emirates' National Meteorological Center issued a red weather alert and, in addition to the core response, government employees were advised to work from home in the immediate aftermath of the floods while the guidance for private organizations showed the same. Some schools and colleges were also closed during the flooding. In Sharjah, many heavy machinery companies provided equipment to aid in clearing the streets and repair in response to the heavy flooding with various machinery such as wheel loaders, skid steer loaders, forklifts, and street sweepers, to help move stranded vehicles, clear debris, and expedite the drying process. [22]
The United Arab Emirates announced $544.6 million to deal with damage to homes in flood. [23] [24]
Authorities declared that posting false news, fake images or rumors about the floods were criminal offenses under the country's cybercrime laws. [25]
The United Arab Emirates is situated in the Middle East and West Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia; it is at a strategic location along the northern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil. The UAE lies between 22°50′ and 26° north latitude and between 51° and 56°25′ east longitude. It shares a 19 km (12 mi) border with Qatar on the northwest, a 530 km (330 mi) border with Saudi Arabia on the west, south, and southeast, and a 450 km (280 mi) border with Oman on the southeast and northeast.
This article covers the various forms of transport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), by road, rail, air, water, etc.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal, elective monarchy composed of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi as its capital. It shares land borders with Oman to the east and northeast, and with Saudi Arabia to the southwest; as well as maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran, and with Oman in the Gulf of Oman. As of 2024, the UAE has an estimated population of over 10 million, of which 11% are Emiratis; Dubai is the most populous city and is an international hub. Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language, while English is the most spoken language and the language of business.
The Emirate of Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, the only one of the seven with a coastline solely on the Gulf of Oman and none on the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Fujairah.
Ajman is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Located along the Persian Gulf, it is engulfed by the larger emirate of Sharjah in territory.
Sharjah is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Mass media in the United Arab Emirates is subject to government control and censorship. Media freedom is severely curtailed in the UAE. Most UAE media is owned by the government or by groups that have ties to the government. UAE law permits the government to censor content critical of the government. Journalists and writers who criticize the government are subject to repression.
Indians in the United Arab Emirates constitute the largest part of the population of the country. Over 3,860,000 Indian expats are estimated to be living in the United Arab Emirates, with over 38% of the country's total population and the fourth highest number of overseas Indians in the world, after the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. Indian contact with the emirates that now constitute the UAE dates back several centuries, as a result of trade and commerce between the emirates and India. The UAE has experienced a tremendous increase in the population of resident Indians who initially migrated to the country as a result of opportunities in petroleum. Now, Indians are key to the UAE's construction, retail, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and transport sectors. A sizeable minority of Indian migrants are involved in professional services and entrepreneurship. Relations between India and the UAE have traditionally been very friendly.
Israel–United Arab Emirates relations traces its origins to the early days of the Oslo Accords, where Israeli and Emirati diplomats had contact with each other in the 1990's in Washington D.C. The first diplomatic facility between the two countries opened in 2015, when Israel opened an official diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Dubai features a tropical desert, hot arid climate. Dubai has two seasons – winter and summer. Rainfall has been increasing over the past few decades in the city accumulating to more than 130 mm (5.12 in) per year.
The United Arab Emirates has an embassy in London while the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland maintains an embassy in Abu Dhabi and is unique in having another Embassy in Dubai, albeit with His Majesty's Consul-General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, as opposed to a separate British Ambassador. The UAE-UK relations have been described as a "special relationship".
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first confirmed case in the United Arab Emirates was announced on 29 January 2020. It was the first country in the Middle East to report a confirmed case.
Cloud seeding in the United Arab Emirates is a weather modification technique used by the government to address water challenges in the country. Cloud seeding is also referred to as man made precipitation and artificial rain making. The United Arab Emirates is one of the first countries in the Persian Gulf region to use cloud seeding technology. UAE scientists use cloud seeding technology to supplement the country's water insecurity, which stems from the extremely hot climate. They use weather radars to continuously monitor the atmosphere of the country. Forecasters and scientists have estimated that cloud seeding operations can enhance rainfall by as much as 30-35% percent in a clear atmosphere, and up to 10-15% in a more humid atmosphere. This practice has caused concerns regarding the impact on the environment because it is difficult to predict its long-term global implications.
Tourism in the United Arab Emirates is an important part of the Emirati economy. In 2023, the tourism sector employed 809,300 people and contributed 220 billion dirham to the national gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 12% of it. In 2024, the UAE was the 6th destination globally by international tourism receipts according to the World Tourism rankings, and it ranked 18th globally in the Travel and Tourism Development Index.
In 2022, heavy rains caused floods in the United Arab Emirates, lasting from 26 to 29 July 2022. Cities of the northern Emirates, mainly Kalba and Fujairah, and different areas of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, were affected by the heavy rains. According to the Emirati National Center for Meteorology, this was the country's heaviest rainfall recorded in 27 years.
Events in the year 2022 in the United Arab Emirates.
Events in the year 2024 in the United Arab Emirates.
In April 2024, heavy rain severely impacted states in the Persian Gulf, causing flash flooding across the region. Several states recorded nearly a year's worth of rain in a single day. The floods had a significant impact across the region, with Oman and the United Arab Emirates being particularly affected, resulting in the deaths of at least 46 people, including 20 in Oman, and 18 in Iran. Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia also experienced heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding.
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