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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Jonathan Watts

Global heating and urbanisation to blame for severity of UAE floods, study finds

Cars spalsh through a large pool of water on a multi-lane motorway with a large overhead sign for a junction in the background
Cars on a still-flooded stretch of motorway in Dubai last Saturday Photograph: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images

Fossil fuels and concrete combined to worsen the “death trap” conditions during recent record flooding in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, a study has found.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution team said downpours in El Niño years such as this one had become 10-40% heavier in the region as a result of human-cased climate disruption, while a lack of natural drainage quickly turned roads into rivers.

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