The United Arab Emirates and Oman saw record levels of rainfall this week. The UAE, a desert nation, witnessed the heaviest rainfall in 75 years on Tuesday, with about 10 inches in one day, according to the country’s National Center of Meteorology.
Cars were submerged on major highways, while the deluge flooded Dubai’s international airport, disrupting flights at the world’s busiest airfield for international travel.
Oman’s National Committee for Emergency Management recorded about 9 inches of rain between Sunday and Wednesday, while several people were confirmed dead, including schoolchildren in a vehicle swept away by floodwaters.
Many have speculated that cloud seeding operations by the UAE were to blame for the extreme weather, though experts have said otherwise.
It’s a weather modification technique that artificially re-creates how clouds naturally create rain and snow.
Normally, tiny droplets of water vapor in a cloud are attracted to things like dust, pollen or salt from the sea, which act as nuclei. When enough of …