Parts of Dubai witnessed an otherworldly phenomenon as the sky transformed into a haunting shade of green amid severe weather conditions.
While some areas plunged into darkness during daylight hours, others were mesmerised by the surreal sight of a green-hued sky, a rare occurrence attributed to the intense weather battering the region in recent hours.
One eyewitness took to social media, writing on X: “I don’t usually post, but man the sky turned green today and it felt so eerie and intimidating as if it was science fiction.”
The desert state of the United Arab Emirates grappled with the aftermath of the heaviest rainfall ever recorded, which inundated Dubai International Airport, causing widespread disruption to flights at the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. Meanwhile, the rich and famous were trapped in Rolls Royces during the torrential rain.
According to the state-run WAM news agency, Tuesday’s rainfall marked a historic weather event, surpassing any documented occurrence since data collection began in 1949, predating the nation’s oil discovery era.
Rainfall was reported across neighbouring countries like Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, but the UAE bore the brunt of the deluge.
Speculation arose regarding the potential influence of cloud seeding, a weather modification technique involving the dispersal of substances into the air to induce precipitation.
Meteorologists at the National Centre for Meteorology reportedly conducted several cloud-seeding flights prior to the downpour, with flight-tracking data revealing aircraft affiliated with the UAE’s cloud-seeding efforts active in the skies.
While some reports suggested an increase in precipitation due to cloud seeding, conflicting statements emerged from official sources.
The National, an English-language newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, cited an anonymous official from the meteorological centre asserting that no cloud seeding occurred on Tuesday, despite earlier flights.
The UAE, reliant on energy-intensive desalination plants for water supply, employs cloud seeding as a strategy to augment groundwater resources. However, the broader context of climate change looms large, with scientists attributing extreme weather events worldwide to its effects.
