Dubai airport flooded

[TURIN]

Judging by current rumours, a boat would be your best bet.
Dubai Airport flooded.

[SaagPaneer]

Lots of rain in DXB today.

[magyar_flyer]

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/900x1600/20240417_001656_7c921264a42c1212f3585c18cf23c42f2c7073d7.jpg
Flooding

[mickjoebill]

Extraordinary video from Dubai
​​​​​​https://youtu.be/fck5OxuJJEo?si=DzPmjL0vGWyNdd_s

https://youtu.be/fck5OxuJJEo?si=DzPmjL0vGWyNdd_s

[nomorehelosforme]

I can only assume the aircraft plowing through the water was heading to a hanger for a rather extensive inspection…..

[Winemaker]

I'm guessing storm drains and crowned roads are afterthoughts out there.

[dhc1180]

Even Mother Nature is trying to drown the place

[brakedwell]

It was the same in the past!. This was RAF Sharjah in March 1960.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/987x690/sharjahjflood_eec96ab31cfd739e5a16522ffece85257dae3a7e.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x768/hunters_of_8sqn_at_sharjah_2215aad434c715495f4fa937255e6ac5f f99a004.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1690x1351/sharjahflood_2_61_2_dce705164b7ff1db4918dbced73e61c7f08cff31 .jpg

[B Fraser]

I'm guessing storm drains and crowned roads are afterthoughts out there.

No, plenty of drains ........................but they are full of sand.

[Claybird]

I can only assume the aircraft plowing through the water was heading to a hanger for a rather extensive inspection…..

Joe Patroni at the controls

[brokenenglish]

Even Mother Nature is trying to drown the place

Yesterdays extreme weather in the UAE was the product of cloud seeding.
From a news service:

The seeding planes have flown seven missions over the past two days, he added.“For any cloud that’s suitable over the UAE you make the operation,” he said.

The rain forced Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, to suspend operations...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-17/dubai-s-record-rainfall-forces-flight-diversions-and-floods-city

[Cornish Jack]

brakedwell - had a similar experience at Sharjah in the mid 50s - was stuck there for 10 days while 'Charlie' and the steam roller and oil cart made good on the sand strip. Passed the time learning about 1000 lb bomb storage and desert vehicle recovery with a 6x6 Scamell, thanks to 'Bomber' Wigley and 'Shani'.Wallis. Also became a fan of Mc Conochies's (???) tinned Ready Meal'

[340drvr]

I can only assume the aircraft plowing through the water was heading to a hanger for a rather extensive inspection…..
DIY compressor wash.

[Givelda]

On the way from DXB to SHJ - sometime in 2019.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/dxb_to_shj_2017_01_800579a002b9dfc73cd68a1d9f13d99eb4aab370. jpg

[DuncanDoenitz]

If you're really optimistic about your planned cloud seeding-operation, better plan on a probable diversion. Or use a float-plane.

[Less Hair]

Flooded? Just keep the engine power up.
https://youtu.be/V06LBgfuxgA?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/V06LBgfuxgA?feature=shared

[For the humourless, this video is not related in any way to the Dubai story. in fact it happened in 2005 in the USA. - mods]

[treadigraph]

I can only assume the aircraft plowing through the water was heading to a hanger for a rather extensive inspection…..
Glad it's doing the crawl rather than the backstroke!

[fluglehrer]

NOTAM A1387/24: Dubai International Airport (OMDB)A1387/24 NOTAMR A1378/24 Q) OMAE/QFAXX/IV/NBO/AE/000/999/2515N05522E005 A) OMDB B) 2404170945 C) 2404171400 E) AD AVBL ONLY FOR EMIRATES AND FLY DUBAI ARRIVALS. CREATED: 17 Apr 2024 09:45:00 SOURCE: OMAEYNYX

[POBJOY]

I flew through the place in Feb 82 in a tail dragger, and just missed a similar occurrence. I suspect that Dubai has considerable more tarmac everywhere now so it will only be worse. Much damage had actually been done by golf ball size hail stones that 'dappled' aircraft and cars all over.
In 82 the Airport still had a lot of sand in the location so that helped to soak up the water, but nowadays unless you provide proper storm culverts to deal with the excess then it will happen again.

[Fursty Ferret]

DIY compressor wash.

Rarely done with the compressors compressing though.

[Diff Tail Shim]

Rarely done with the compressors compressing though.
only on a Dry Motor.. 😆

[Xray4277]

Rarely done with the compressors compressing though.
Back in the 1980s I remember Avon gas turbines (in use for power generation offshore) being washed online with crushed nutshells or rice husks. But the industrial Avons were probably not treated as kindly as the aviation versions. They did go through a phase of blowing the exhaust stacks off the side of the platform when the fuel gas knockout pots failed to stop lighter gases getting through...temporary flameout with gas generator still spinning, until gas in combustion cans reached explosive limit and....BOOM!!!! Made a right mess of the power turbine blades too...

[SunnyTheSemen]

Dubai is one of the most efficient cities on planet earth and the authorities have dealt with very well indeed. Europe would have been in a real pickle with such rain

[nomilk]

Dubai is one of the most efficient cities on planet earth and the authorities have dealt with very well indeed. Europe would have been in a real pickle with such rain
Because Europe is one country with one climate zone and one geology 🙄

[allert]

Dubai is one of the most efficient cities on planet earth and the authorities have dealt with very well indeed. Europe would have been in a real pickle with such rain

I almost fell off my chair reading this. I'm guessing you've never actually been to Dubai

[Jonty]

I almost fell off my chair reading this. I'm guessing you've never actually been to Dubai

I had a chuckle too.
I think they singed up to Pprune just so they could post that.

[Akrotiri bad boy]

Dubai is a castle built upon the sand; I think Percy Bysshe Shelley nailed it with his verse Ozymandias about once magnificent structures which became faded glories in the desert.

[W9SQD]

Dubai is a castle built upon the sand; I think Percy Bysshe Shelley nailed it with his verse Ozymandias about once magnificent structures which became faded glories in the desert.

Archeologists will one day shake their heads when examining the ruins of Dubai. 😉

[Lord Bracken]

Dubai is one of the most efficient cities on planet earth and the authorities have dealt with very well indeed. Europe would have been in a real pickle with such rain

Emirates would appear not to agree with you. Now in day 4 of complete operational chaos, seemingly with no end in sight.

[LessThanSte]

We just had a generic email from Travelbag (owned by Emirates, i believe) - not that we have a booking (sadly) - that check-in has been closed for anyone preparing to travel to or via Dubai until midnight tonight. Presumably, this is to give them some headroom to manage the number of people stuck at the other end.

One might argue that the trouble with hubs, and an airline that is immensely popular operating basically full flights to and from said hub, is that when something big goes wrong its incredibly difficult to sort it out without closing everything down and starting again.

[albatross]

Kish Island years ago….it rains briefly but heavily for ten minutes…terminal leaks like a sieve. Drainage on runways, taxiways and apron…slim to nil. Condition frantic declared.
WX now CAVU.
Tower “You can not land…the runways are flooded!”

Me: “You do realize that I’m flying a helicopter?”

Long, long pause.

Tower: “You are cleared to land..at your own discretion but ..we will not be responsible!”

It was pretty hairy but I managed to land safely…close call! LOL.

[HowardB]

I meant to post earlier, but was airborne traveling back the UK via another of the Gulf States.

Having spent many years working on water and sewage projects in this part of the world, the storms are extremely difficult to manage. The main problem is the lack of rainfall for 99% of the year but plenty of airborne sand and dust accumulating in the pipes & culverts. When the rain finally arrives - often in torrential downpours of more than 75mm/hour intensity - the accumulated sand & dirt are swept into the pumps. As you might image Storm pumps are robustly built but still unable to cope...

[Right20deg]

There may well be a decent run of Spring Salmon in some of those bigger pools. Plenty of surface fly hatches, always present in the middle east, should assist. Opportunities for careful roll casting off the jetties or catering trucks will be apparent. Catch and release policy is mandatory. You cannot be sure what the Salmon will have been eating.

[Bull at a Gate]

DBX currently not accepting transit passengers as the transit lounge has been damaged by floodwaters. It is necessary to enter the country and then leave again on a flight to your ultimate destination. This may necessitate an overnight stay and you will need a visa.

And you will only discover all this when you go to check in.

How do I know this? From recent bitter personal experience.

[B Fraser]

Dubai is one of the most efficient cities on planet earth and the authorities have dealt with very well indeed. Europe would have been in a real pickle with such rain

Europe is so efficient that their drains have pipes in them to take away the water. Europe would not have seeded a pre-existing storm so would not have created the disaster in the first place. Who is paying the bill for that mistake ?

[waito]

The cloud seeding story is bull sheet!
By seeding you can't create clouds containing water worth 1 year of rain. you can just make existing clouds start to rain earlier.

Reason is more heat, more water evaporate over oceans, creating ever larger rainfall. Not sure, but that one was related to unusual many storm cells coming in from northwest?

[B Fraser]

More cloud seeding = more condensation nuclei = more rain = more release of latent heat = more convection = more condensation = more release of latent heat......... etc. etc. etc.

The question is of the planned 300 days of seeding in 2024, was any done in relation to that weather system ? The media appear to have gone into full reversal.

[Mr Mac]

Dubai does have heavy rainfall periodically and I have seen the under passes flooded and cars floating around bumping into the underside of over bridges. The problem is, as other have posted, that the ever present sand blocks the drains and unless they are cleared out which they are not, then when the deluge comes you end up with the flooding witnessed this week. However I have to say the UK is equally bad at this if you look at the flooding that occurs on certain sections of our roads and motorways, caused by the same issue, and we have no excuse as we do get rain often, but just seem inept at maintaining things these days.

Cheers
Mr Mac

[B Fraser]

I messaged our friend who we stay with on the Palm. The drains are just chambers with no pipe to take the water away. No wonder the sand is never emptied.

At least our drains are connected to the sewers. The Burj Khalifa relies on a fleet of trucks to take away the effluent despite being in the middle of the developed zone. I wonder how they are coping if the trucks could not get in or out ?

[Eutychus]

At least our drains are connected to the sewers. The Burj Khalifa relies on a fleet of trucks to take away the effluent despite being in the middle of the developed zone.

This appears to be an urban legend, see for instance the well-documented discussion here (https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/52204/is-the-sewage-from-the-burj-khalifa-transported-away-by-trucks).

[aeromech3]

Back in the 1980s I remember Avon gas turbines (in use for power generation offshore) being washed online with crushed nutshells or rice husks. But the industrial Avons were probably not treated as kindly as the aviation versions...
My recall: I have executed the crushed nut shell wash on aviation dart engines (centrifugal compressor) using a hopper and chute directed into the top of the intake whilst the engine at idle; this was considered a last resort to improve performance TGT!
On aviation axial compressor engines, like RR Spey and mixed compressor P&W PT6, I have only done the demineralised water (but sometimes + a chemical) wash.
With the phasing out of demin water injection types ( partly due noise rulings) the airport stopped storing the water and it became a pain to get from local refineries; we bought a filtration plant, but it was not practical, the local water was both high in salt and chlorine content, both harmful to the engine metals.

[SpaceJellyfish]

First: I am not a pilot. Only held a PPL-A long ago. I have a foot in the geosciences. Found that forum and thread by accident (nobody was hurt :-)) when reading this a recent Nature paper about "Future Changes of Precipitation Patterns Over the Arabian Peninsula" and searching for info on the flooding. I have been to the area (Sharjah, Dubai, Oman) on 2 occasions beacuse of archeology.

waito is right, cloud seeding was not involved here, besides its effectiveness being discussed controversally (depends on study ...), does not create rain just like that. Its intention is to cause clouds that have already formed and are in pre-stages of storms or potentially heavy rain (like the castellanus or congestus families) to condense and release their water prematurely, changing amount and place of rainfall.

The UAE do try to use its effects in a "weather enhancement program" (changing the place of the rainfall) to receive more rain that would otherwise just pass over as highly humid air or clouds. But as the UAE meterological office NCM said and reported by several news sites to debunk an earlier Bloomberg report, there were no cloud seeding operations at that time. That was a completely natural phenomenon.

It was said upthread that in Europe an equal amount of rain would have caused more damage. Well saidly that's true, but it has nothing to do with local (dis-)ingenuity!

Reports have it that in some places 250mm/m^2 of rain fell in less than 24. That's about the same amount (240mm) in 22h that caused a devastating flood in the Ahr valley in Germany in 2018. But ...

First: those drainage systems in mid range mountains have a huge catchment area and channel the water that runs off on the surface (is not stored in soil, for instance because that's already soaked) in river courses of various types.

Second: water running of in riverbeds of various narrowness, depth and slope has much more energy than the standing water we see in the images from Dubai. This creates erosion and even landslides, a mixture of water, mud, rocks, foliage up to trees, and further on parts of the infratsructure, technology, stone constructions ground to pieces and sadly animals and humans as "clasts".

So these are events in regimes of different energies involved, the outcome can't really be compared even without the usually unavoidable blaming of ... well whoever is to blame :-)

Stay safe evrybody

p.s.: Am not allowed to post links so tried to give info for own search.

[B Fraser]

This appears to be an urban legend, see for instance the well-documented discussion here (https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/52204/is-the-sewage-from-the-burj-khalifa-transported-away-by-trucks).

Almost a million views without being taken down.....

What Happens When You Poop in A Burj Khalifa's Toilet (youtube.com) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR2cpnqlfrU)

[Eutychus]

Almost a million views without being taken down.....

Do you believe the presence of a video on YouTube and the number of views it has garnered is a good gauge of the truth?

[Mr Mac]

B Fraser
When you land in DXB at night you used to be able to see lines of Orange flashing lights of the sewage trucks queuing on the roads to the sewage plant. Indeed some of the drivers hit on the idea of not going to the sewage plant and associated wait, and instead off loaded their cargo into the creek which as more started to do it really messed up the place. I believe this practice has stopped now, but the majority of sewage in Dubai is still removed by truck for processing.

Cheers
Mr Mac

[daniel1111]

The thunderstorms looked pretty epic when passing by :D

[Chronic Snoozer]

More cloud seeding = more condensation nuclei = more rain = more release of latent heat = more convection = more condensation = more release of latent heat......... etc. etc. etc.
Don't let facts get in the way of a great rumour.

https://www.rmets.org/metmatters/dubai-floods-and-cloud-seeding

[B Fraser]

B Fraser
When you land in DXB at night you used to be able to see lines of Orange flashing lights of the sewage trucks queuing on the roads to the sewage plant. Indeed some of the drivers hit on the idea of not going to the sewage plant and associated wait, and instead off loaded their cargo into the creek which as more started to do it really messed up the place. I believe this practice has stopped now, but the majority of sewage in Dubai is still removed by truck for processing.

Cheers
Mr Mac

Dang ! The Globalex Enviro contract to move the effluent was the next card up my sleeve. Eutychus probably thinks they were taking in mineral water. There is a 17 billion contract going through which will deliver the sewage system. I hope it works for longer than the giant wheel.

EPC contractors sought for Dubai's £17bn sewer tunnels project | Ground Engineering (geplus.co.uk) (https://www.geplus.co.uk/news/epc-contractors-sought-for-dubais-17bn-sewer-tunnels-project-15-02-2024/#:~:text=Dubai%27s%20Executive%20Council%20approved%20the,Mi ddle%20East%20business%20magazine%20MEED.)

Here's that convoy in daylight.

Why Dubai Has a Poop Truck Traffic Jam outside the Burj Khalifa (youtube.com) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syK7u_QQKk8&t=39s)

[Eutychus]

The page I linked to suggests the reality is rather more nuanced than the implication that "the idiots forgot to design any provision at all for wastewater treatment", though.

[SLF3]

But (according to a colleague who was there) they didn't follow the dredging contractors recommendations for overburden when they did the land reclamation for the Burj. And the reclained land is settling....

'Honey trucks' are common across the Emirates. Needn't smell any worse than a Thames Water treatment plant......

[B Fraser]

I presume you mean the Burj al Arab which is a different building altogether. I haven't noticed any issues in buildings on other man made islands, other than the drains are full of sand..