Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain

"Rain is unusual in the UAE, an arid, Arabian Peninsula nation"

(Image credit: Christopher Pike / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 17 April 2024

What happened

Heavy rain and flooding battered the Persian Gulf region late Monday and Tuesday, dousing Dubai with a year and a half's worth of rain, killing at least 18 people in Oman and prompting flight cancellations and school closures in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"Rain is unusual in the UAE, an arid, Arabian Peninsula nation," the AP said, so "many roads and other areas lack drainage." Torrential rainfall events like this "will become more frequent due to human-driven climate change," CNN said. For every 1 degree rise in average temperature, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture, said the BBC, resulting in "more droplets and heavier rainfall, sometimes in a shorter space of time."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.