Dubai Floods Expose Weaknesses to a Rapidly Changing Climate
Extreme rains brought to a halt one of the hottest and driest cities on Earth.
Vehicles abandoned in floodwater in central Dubai, on April 17.
Photographer: Christopher Pike/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The heavy rains that flooded Dubai this week halted air traffic, damaged buildings and streets — and left climate experts and common citizens asking whether one of the world’s hottest and driest cities should be better prepared for extreme storms.
Weather forecasters knew days in advance that a major storm was heading for the United Arab Emirates and authorities issued warnings asking citizens to stay home. Yet its largest city Dubai was still brought to a halt this week, with one of the worst rain events in decades flooding streets, homes and highways.