A recent study led by the World Weather Attribution initiative has made a startling revelation. ccSpecifically, the climate change, largely driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, amplified extreme rainfall events in these countries by 10 to 40% when compared to a world devoid of global warming.
Consider the UAE, for instance. The nation experienced its heaviest rainfall in 75 years, with Dubai witnessing more than a year and a half’s worth of rain in less than 24 hours between April 14 and 15. The floods that ensued took a devastating toll on life, causing the deaths of four people in the UAE and at least 19 others in Oman. The effects of the floods were so significant that they disrupted life in Dubai and were visible from space in satellite images.
It is worth noting that despite international agreements to shift away from fossil fuels, many fossil fuel-rich countries continue to extract large volumes of coal, oil, and gas. Such practices could potentially lead to heavier rainfall and more destructive floods due to global warming.
There is suggestive evidence that global warming likely intensified the recent heavy downpours in Dubai, resulting in deadly floods. Though scientists haven’t been able to directly link this specific event to greenhouse gas-induced warming, the circumstantial evidence is compelling. The heavy rains and subsequent flooding led to the deaths of at least two dozen people across the UAE, Oman, and parts of Saudi Arabia.
The study also brought to light the role of El Niño, a natural occasional warming of the central Pacific that changes weather systems worldwide. El Niño played a significant role in the flooding. However, such heavy downpours are trending heavier due to global warming, and are now estimated to be three times more likely to occur than in pre-industrial times. This highlights the urgency to address the issue of global warming before more lives are lost to climate change-induced natural disasters.
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