Monday, 15 April 2024, 9:27 PM. I get into bed, ready for another day of school, oblivious to what's going to happen in the UAEThe United Arab Emirates is a country in the Middle East, and the location of Dubai. tomorrow. It's raining a bit, but nothing too bad.

Tuesday, 16 April, 6:43 AM. I check my phone: school is closed due to forecasted "unstable weather conditions". I think nothing of it and go back to sleep. If only I looked outside...

Tuesday, 16 April, 8:32 AM. The deadliest thunder storm in Emirati history hits Abu DhabiThe capital city of the United Arab Emirates - it is also the name of one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE.. And I just notice it.

Chaos is everywhere. It is all over the news. A cataclysmic thunderstorm, accompanied with heavy rainfall, causes havoc all around. Nothing could have prepared the UAE for a disaster like this. Despite the drainage systems, the Emirates flood. Fast. One year of rain falls in a matter of hours.

Dubai Mall floods. People in Abu Dhabi ride kayaks to cross the street. A 70-year-old man in Ras Al-Khaimah loses his life after his car is swept away. How in the world can a desert witness so much rain and lightning? Citizens say: "It's cloud seedingA weather modification technique. It involves adding substances to clouds to make it rain.!" Experts assure us it is not. So what exactly is the cause of this mayhem? Climate change.

The thunderstorm had originally hit OmanA monarchy on the Arabian peninsula. a couple days before it attacked the UAE. After meteorologistsMeteorologists study the weather and climate using data from the land, sea and atmosphere. stated there were six cloud seeding planes in the air before the storm had struck, people speculated that cloud seeding the cause of the storm.

Cloud seeding involves spraying salty mixtures inside clouds which eventually lead to rainfall. Since the Emirates is an arid country, cloud seeding is carried out to solve potential water shortages. However, it was not the cause of this adversity. Research indicates that an increase of 1C in the average temperature of the Earth allows the atmosphere to hold on to around 7% more moisture, which results in extreme weather conditions, explaining the catastrophic thunderstorm.

As I sat at home and did some schoolwork, I decided to look outside. Dark already? No problem... other than the fact that it was only 2 PM. The skies were gloomy as lightning struck every couple of minutes. The streets were flooded, "submarine taxis in Dubai" was trending on social media, and all schools and offices were closed. It felt like something straight out of The Batman, when Gotham City floods, destroying anything and everything on the ground. Fallen trees, leaking houses, broken infrastructure. Without preparation for this unimaginable calamity, airports struggled. Dubai International Airport required over 22 tankers and vacuums just to get all the rainwater off the grounds.

Decimating flash floods and disastrous amounts of lightning in a desert - are we not realising anything? You have probably heard the words "climate change" so many times it sounds cliche, but the time to act is now or never. The consequences are dire, and they are showing already. It takes just one person to start, and that person can be you. Yes, start using metal water bottles. Turn off your lights in the morning. Avoid buying products with hefty packaging. Slowly but surely, it all makes a difference.

As the dark clouds finally fade away. I check the news once again, happy that the thunderstorm is over. "UAE Weather: more rain expected next week."