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How melting of ice in Antarctica impacts UAE weather

Experts say narratives must be developed to clearly illustrate the impact of each region and how it is shaped by people’s everyday lives

The melting of Antarctic ice is not only causing global sea levels to rise but is also altering weather patterns, indirectly resulting in a 36 per cent increase in cyclones in the Arabian Peninsula.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the UAE Antarctic Research Programme Workshop on Wednesday, Monikumar Ramakrishnan, adviser to World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) president and National Centre of Meteorology director-general Dr Abdullah Al Mandous, emphasised the urgent need for research in Polar Regions stressing the profound effects of climate change.

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‘Weather has no borders’

He explained that the Gulf region, including the UAE, is affected by these issues and faces specific threats concerning water and food security.

“If there’s any change in the ice mass – whether it is loss or increase – it will impact the weather and climate over all regions. For example, it will alter the ocean currents and the global atmospheric circulations. When it is altered, it will completely change the weather in the other regions. For example, the Arabian Peninsula is controlled by the global circulation. The Indian monsoon will affect the UAE or any change in the Siberian high will have an influence here and any changes in the other parts of Europe will also have an impact. Weather has no borders.”

“Therefore, changes in ice mass will alter the global circulation, which in turn influences mid-level circulation, affecting the Mediterranean and tropical regions. Even the alarming increase in the formation of cyclones is an example. Nowadays, we are witnessing a 36 per cent increase in the formation of cyclones in the Arabian Sea. These are all interconnected,” added Ramakrishnan.

Shaped by people’s daily lives

Other experts said that communicating the global significance of Antarctica to the public should be a top priority. Narratives must be developed to clearly illustrate the impact of each region and how it is shaped by people’s everyday lives.

Dr Zhang Wenjian, International Affairs Advisor NCM said, “Under the six priorities of Antarctic Science there is something called, ‘The global reach of the Antarctic atmosphere and Southern Ocean.’ Especially in the past 20-30 years, we see that climate change has significantly impacted not only the Antarctic region but also the other way around. We are trying to find out what are the changes in Polar Regions especially in the Antarctic.”

He added, “There is some connection with interim events in the middle latitude countries like UAE. We’ve had similar (extreme) weather events in the past but are struggling to find the teleconnection (weather or climate patterns in one region influence conditions in another). The global warming or temperature increase through the ocean and the atmospheric river have an impact across regions because climate change anywhere does not stay just there but has a really broad connection.”

How does increase in sea level affect people in this area?

Meanwhile, authorities from UAE universities pointed out that a significant portion of the world’s water is currently stored in the oceans. They noted that 50,000 years ago, most of the ice was also in the oceans, but over time, sea levels began to rise.

Dr Aisha Al Suwaidi, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Khalifa University said, “With sea level rise, we see lots of water incursion in coastal areas. In the past, the impact was less. Today, a huge proportion of the global population lives at the coastline. The sea level rise is caused by glaciers melting and sea ice melting, so as sea ice melts, and glaciers in high mountains melt, the sea level will rise because that water has been locked inside ice."

“As sea levels rise – not just by one centimetre but by tens of centimetres – cities situated along rivers and coastlines will begin to find their inhabited areas becoming uninhabitable. They will face significant water incursion,” she added.

Al Suwaidi noted that as sea levels rise, there are also noticeable changes in weather patterns, such as shifts in rainfall and an increase in cyclone intensity, which have already been observed this year. Additionally, global temperatures increase.

More foggy, dusty days

“We had multiple extreme events here in the UAE in the past. This is being driven by climate change globally and changes in the intensification of weather patterns and hydrological cycles (rainfall)."

"So, we see more foggy and dusty days, and obviously, most of our population also lives along the coast. Abu Dhabi City is a coastal city, Raha Beach, Yas Bay, Saadiyat, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah…we’re all sitting on coastal areas. So as sea level rises, not only are our weather patterns going to alter, but also our coastal cities will be affected by this,” she added.

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