What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai flooding? - BBC News

Dubai has been hit by record floods, sparking misleading speculation about cloud seeding.

20 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsClimateImage source, Getty ImagesBy Mark Poynting & Marco SilvaBBC NewsDubai has been hit by record floods over the past 24 hours, sparking misleading speculation about cloud seeding.

So how unusual was the rainfall and what were the reasons behind the extreme downpours?

Dubai is situated on the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is usually very dry. But while it receives less than 100mm (3.9in) a year of rainfall on average, it does experience occasional extreme downpours.

In the city of Al-Ain - just over 100km (62 miles) from Dubai - about 256mm (10in) of rain was recorded in just 24 hours.

A "cut off" low pressure weather system, which drew in warm, moist air and blocked other weather systems from coming through was the main cause.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68839043

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