UAE's weather unit denies reports of cloud seeding before Dubai storm

The rains forced Dubai International Airport to suspend operations for 25 minutes. Schools were shut and the traffic came to a standstill

Dubai’s weather department on April 17 denied that it had undertaken any cloud seeding missions.

It was reported that the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), a government body responsible for cloud seeding in the United Arab Emirates, had carried out weather modification techniques, which led to the desert city receiving over a year and a half's worth of rain in one day.

However, the deputy director general of the NCM Omar AlYazeedi said the agency “did not conduct any seeding operations during this event.”

The agency said no pilots for seeding missions were dispatched before or during the storm that stuck on April 16, according to CNBC.

“One of the basic principles of cloud seeding is that you have to target clouds in its early stage before it rains, if you have a severe thunderstorm situation then it is too late to conduct any seeding operation,” AlYazeedi told CNBC on April 17.

Shopping centres Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding. Water was ankle-deep in at least one Dubai Metro station, according to images posted on social media. One of the viral videos showed workers removing water from the Chanel and Fendi luxury stores inside a mall. Another video showed water crashing into the showroom of Danish variety store chain Flying Tiger.

The rains forced Dubai International Airport to suspend operations for 25 minutes. Schools were shut and the traffic came to a standstill.

Dubai receives 3.12 inches of rain per year on average, according to the World Meteorological Organisation. “Dubai is experiencing major flooding as 1.5 year’s worth of rain just fell in a single day. Nearly 5 inches (127 mm) fell in 24 hours,” climate scientist Colin McCarthy posted on his X account.