Flash flood in Dubai. Why was the sky green?

Flash floods surprised residents of the United Arab Emirates. Within 12 hours, 100 liters per square meter fell, which is the average annual rainfall. In the city of Al Ain in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, rainfall totaling as much as 254 l/sq m was recorded. This resulted in communication paralysis. Roads were flooded and schools were closed. Terrified residents wrote on the X platform that it was the biggest storm they had ever seen.

Dubai airport turned into a lake

The storm caused flash flooding in Dubai. The airport was paralyzed, planes were almost floating on the runway. The airport authorities urged travelers to monitor the information and contact airlines regarding their flights.

The sky in Dubai was green

Before the storm, residents noticed that the sky over the city turned green. There have been theories that the rainfall was artificially induced. In the United Arab Emirates, artificial cloud seeding is popular to prevent drought.

Ahmed Habib, a meteorologist at the National Center of Meteorology in the United Arab Emirates, admitted that the planes carried out seven cloud seeding missions on April 15 and 16. They took off from Al Ain airport. Could it have contributed to such a violent storm?

“Dubai's massive rain bomb – almost two years' worth of rainfall in one day – was caused by a stalled and slow-moving southerly jet stream,” said Jeff Berardelli, chief meteorologist and climate specialist for CBS News.

What is a flash flood?

A flash flood is a type of flood that occurs very quickly and is characterized by a sudden increase in water levels. This is usually caused by heavy rainfall or sudden melting of snow, which leads to a sudden influx of water into rivers, streams and other watercourses. As a result, water levels may rise quickly, flooding low-lying areas and threatening human life and property. Flash floods are particularly dangerous because of their speed and unpredictability, which makes it difficult to evacuate people.