Beginning on the evening of April 5, torrential rains poured over the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman, flooding dozens of cities by Tuesday. With 142mm (5.59 inches) of precipitation in only one day—equivalent to two years’ worth of its typical rainfall—Dubai was especially severely affected.
Experts disagree about whether the record-breaking downpours were caused by cloud seeding technology. The government of Dubai reportedly used cloud-seeding planes on Monday, which may have caused the ensuing flood, according to the Associated Press. Officials in Dubai have refuted these allegations.
By releasing substances from aircraft, such silver iodide, clouds are encouraged to condense and produce rain. This process is known as cloud seeding. Results from the procedure can be obtained in around 30 minutes. Since its invention by American scientist Vincent J. Shafer, more than 60 nations have used it, usually to alleviate drought, lessen pollution, or alter precipitation patterns for particular occasions.
Recent extreme weather in the Gulf States serves as a stark reminder of the catastrophic effects that climate variability can have on communities all around the world. It’s still unclear whether cloud seeding made the storms’ effects worse.