Record storms caused severe floods in the UAE and Oman in April and, with climate change expected to increase rainfall by 20 to 30 per cent in future, these events could become more common.
With similar events reported around the world, The National has examined some of the worst storms globally over the last 20 years and how they have affected ecosystems.
Climate scientists forecast greater variation in precipitation patterns, with more extreme rainfall, droughts and forest fires expected. Severe rain becomes more common as the atmosphere can hold about seven per cent more moisture for every 1°C rise in temperature.
Prof Georg Winkel, a forester and ecologist at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands, observed floods that struck Central Europe in July 2021. One of the affected areas was the Ahr Valley in Germany, which he said tended to be hit by extreme floods about once a century. Higher population densities and even more extreme precipitation patterns mean the effects now are greater.
“Even if you have a history of extreme flooding, you can see the impacts of climate change because they’re getting more likely,” he said. "[There are] even higher impacts due to warmer air and more moisture.”
Climate change is blamed for causing an increase in the intensity of severe tropical storms – hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons. “The warmer air is able to hold more moisture. That’s favourable conditions for tropical cyclones to grow,” said Dr Xiangbo Feng, a senior research scientist in tropical cyclones at the UK's National Centre for Atmospheric Science.
“And the warmer sea-surface temperatures means the ocean is holding more heat. The more ocean heat, the more can be converted into the energy of tropical cyclones, so the energy the tropical cyclones absorb from the ocean is going up.”
Due to the factors related to the differences in warming, and its effects on wind patterns, certain areas, such as the North Atlantic, are more heavily affected by storms, compared to the north-west Pacific.
As well as death and destruction, extreme storms also cause environmental issues, leaving coastal areas inundated, river valleys flooded and sparking landslides. Here we consider the human and ecological impacts of storms from the past two decades.
Hurricane Katrina, August 2005
The storm killed about 1,400 people when it caused widespread flooding in and around New Orleans. The hurricane is remembered due to the response, or lack of it, by authorities after the storm. It also badly affected the environment.
“Katrina left an environmental toll of oil spills, storm debris, damaged sewage and water treatment systems, abandoned housing, and widespread mould,” researchers from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centre wrote in the American Journal of Public Health in 2020.
LSU Libraries said that the hurricane caused the United States’ worst oil spill since 1989, with between 7 million and 8 million gallons released. “Another major concern following the 2005 hurricane season was the condition of the Gulf Coast and the destruction of ecological habitats,” LSU Libraries stated.
“The damage wrought upon Louisiana’s vulnerable wetlands by Katrina was exacerbated by subsequent storms throughout the following months.”
Storm surges and extreme winds caused coastal erosion, including to the barrier islands off Louisiana, which are remains of the Mississippi Delta. Floodwaters, polluted with heavy metals and pathogens, ended up in the Lake Pontchartrain estuary.
Cyclone Nargis, May 2008
Thanks to storm surges in the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar, this tropical cyclone – which took its energy from warm waters in the Bay of Bengal – killed more than 138,000 people. Causing winds of up to 215kph, the storm has been described as the worst natural disaster in the history of the South-East Asian nation.
The effects of Cyclone Nargis extended to the natural environment, with 38,000 hectares of mangroves and other tree areas widely reported to have been destroyed.
In a 2017 study in Comptes Rendus Geoscience, a team of French-based researchers reported that the cyclone flooded 14,400km of inland areas of the delta. “The shores and multiple mouths in the protruding western half of the delta … took the brunt of the cyclone,” the researchers wrote.
Three months after the cyclone, the shoreline in the delta had retreated by an average of 47 metres, the researchers found, with some areas experiencing a retreat of more than 200 metres. They compared some shoreline retreat to that caused by Hurricane Katrina and said there was “marked and persistent erosion” 20 months later.
Central Europe floods, July 2021
A string of Central European nations were badly affected by flooding in July 2021, when as much as 271.5 millimetres of rain fell in two days. About 250 people died, the majority in Germany and Belgium, with the Belgian Interior Minister, Annelies Verlinden, describing it as, “one of the greatest natural disasters our country has ever known”.
Prof Winkel said that while the effects on people were “disastrous”, especially because population densities were higher than during previous flooding events, in some locations, such as the Ahr Valley in Germany, areas were “rewilded” because the river ecosystem spread out into areas from which it had been excluded.
“[Areas] were taken over by the river … The river came back into areas where it’s been cut away through dykes and other technical measures,” he said. “ … More extreme events are a likelihood when the air is warmer and can carry more water. It changes river systems beyond what they were in the past. The effects are more harmful to people than to the ecosystem.”
Typhoon Yagi, September 2024
This extreme weather event caused heavy flooding and landslides and left a trail of destruction when it hit North Vietnam in early September. It was the most severe typhoon to hit the region in decades and also affected the Philippines and parts of China.
Tens of thousands of people had to flee their homes and more than 300 were left dead or missing after the super typhoon caused downpours and winds that exceeded 200kph. There was heavy damage to infrastructure, with buildings, roads and bridges all suffering damage due to the extreme conditions.
Power cuts were widespread, affecting about 200,000 homes, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Nature was also badly affected, with more than 300,000 trees uprooted. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland were flooded and about three million farm animals died.
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
