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MENAFN- Live Mint) "The United Arab Emirates experienced its heaviest downpour since records began in 1949, Dubai's media office said in a statement. The state-run WAM news agency termed the rainfall as“a historic weather event” .\" The widespread rainfall observed across the UAE is attributed to various factors, including cloud seeding are 10 points to know on Dubai floods1. The rain caused chaos for residents as water entered the city's expensive homes and underground car parks with some buildings were also left without power Read: Cars, runway submerged, Flydubai suspends flights, schools closed due to heavy rain | Watch videos here2. Dubai airport which is one of the world's busiest, also suffered“significant disruption.” As per the latest update from DXB, the airport is operating with limited flights departing and arriving. In a tweet on X, it also added,“We have now resumed arriving flights of airlines operating out of Terminal 1. Flights continue to be delayed and disrupted, so we urge you to only come to Terminal 1 if you have a confirmed booking. Please contact your airline for the latest information on your flight status.”Also Read: Ex Jet Airways CEO calls out Anand Mahindra's 'Not Mumbai' remark on Dubai rain: 'People in snowy Oslo mock Bombay?'3. Additionally, the airport has also answered the most listed question related to diverted flights, checked in bags, food availibility at DXB, among others.4. Amid the floods, the government schools across UAE will remain closed till April 19. As per official handle of Emirates News Agency (WAM), The Emirates School Education Foundation has decided to extend the distance education system for all government schools in the country on Thursday and Friday, April 18 and 19, 2024, in order to ensure the readiness of all government schools and their surrounding areas in terms of safety and security to receive students and teaching staff.5. The UAE government has also extended remote working for its employees till April 19. In a post on X, it wrote,“Based on the directives of the Council of Ministers, it was decided to extend remote work for Thursday and Friday, April 18-19, for all federal government employees, with the exception of jobs that require presence at the workplace, taking into account the circumstances resulting from the weather condition that the country experienced.”Also Read: Dubai rain havoc: Know what caused the heavy rainfall - Cloud seeding or climate change? Here's what experts say6. Emirates has also extended the suspension of check-in for passengers departing Dubai effective until 09:00am on 18 April.“Customers departing Dubai are advised to not travel to the airport until after 09:00am on 18 April, and only if you have a confirmed flight booking. Do not come to the airport if you have a booking before this time, as you will be unable to check in,” the airline in an earlier statement.7. IndiGo has cancelled its flights until 12 pm on April 18. The carrier in a post on X stated,“Flights to/fro #Dubai stand canceled until 12 PM on Apr 18, due to Airport restrictions and operational challenges caused by bad weather and road blockages.”8. Following cloud seeding, heavy rainfall inundated the desert nation. Since 2002, the UAE has conducted seeding operations to tackle water security concerns. However, inadequate drainage in numerous areas can lead to flooding, impacting cities like Dubai, a prominent global financial and business hub.9. Cloud seeding is a type of weather modification where substances like silver iodide or dry ice are dispersed into clouds to encourage precipitation, such as rain or snow.10. The UAE initiated its cloud seeding program in the late 1990s, making it one of the first Middle Eastern countries to use this technique. Collaborative research with institutions like the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and NASA has bolstered their efforts.(With inputs from Bloomberg)
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