UAE Drenched: Heavy Rains Submerge Cities, One Dead; Climate Change Blamed

• Rare heavy rains hit UAE on Dec 18-19, submerging major cities like Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah, causing severe disruption and traffic gridlock.
• One 27-year-old Indian expatriate, Salman Fareez, died in Ras Al Khaimah after a rain-weakened wall collapsed.
• Aviation severely impacted: Emirates Airlines canceled 13 flights; Dubai International Airport and Sharjah Airport faced numerous cancellations and delays.
• Authorities issued warnings, advised work from home, closed public places, and deployed thousands of water pumping trucks to manage the crisis.
• Experts link the unusual rainfall to global warming and climate change, highlighting the UAE's unprepared drainage systems in a desert environment.

Why It Matters: UAE's unprecedented rains expose climate vulnerability and infrastructure gaps in a desert nation.