The United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced an unprecedented downpour on Tuesday, April 16, marking the heaviest rainfall recorded within a 24-hour period since data collection began in 1949.
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) reported that the area of “Khatm Al Shakla” in Al Ain witnessed the highest precipitation, measuring a remarkable 254 mm in less than 24 hours. This surpasses the previous record set at the NCM’s Shuwaib station on March 9, 2016, which recorded 287.6 mm.
The UAE faced significant challenges in managing the adverse weather conditions, but effective collaboration between authorities and residents ensured the safety of everyone involved.
The NCM emphasized that this record-breaking rainfall is an extraordinary occurrence in the UAE’s climate history and anticipates even larger amounts of rainfall in the hours to come.
This heavy downpour, while posing challenges, also presents an opportunity for the UAE, contributing to an increase in the annual rainfall average and fortifying the nation’s groundwater reserves.
The unstable weather conditions, attributed to an extension of a “low surface pressure,” began affecting the country from Monday onwards, with two waves of unsettled weather sweeping across the UAE on Tuesday.