Second heaviest downpour in Bahrain

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BAHRAIN witnessed its second heaviest downpour since records began, with an average rainfall of 67.6mm recorded on Monday and Tuesday.

This is just shy of the highest daily amount of rainfall ever recorded in the kingdom nearly 30 years ago on March 12 1995, when an average of 67.9mm was recorded.

Rainfall amount and intensity varied across the kingdom, with 45.5mm recorded at Bahrain International Airport, 41.8mm at the King Fahad Causeway, 42.8mm at Durrat Al Bahrain, 63.6mm in Sitra, 93.6mm at the Bahrain International Circuit, 95.8mm in Hoora and A’ali.

The location with the highest average rainfall over the past two days was the University of Bahrain area, with 96.8mm.

This was confirmed by Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry meteorological department director Khalid Yaseen, who said that the rainfall was much higher than average.

“Bahrain witnessed severe thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday due to weather fluctuations in the region,” he said yesterday.

“These storms were accompanied by very strong downward winds reaching about 53 knots.

“The amount of rain that fell during those two days was very large, especially compared to how much the country tends to witness during these months.

“In fact, the situation in the entire GCC region was very abnormal, especially in terms of depth and intensity of rainfall.”

In comparison, 53.3mm was the highest amount recorded last year in January. Additionally, this is already the wettest April on record, more than double of the previous highest amount, which was just 31.3mm in 2019.

Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak confirmed that work was underway to compensate those affected by the heavy rain, following the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

“We are assessing damages and identifying areas with high rainwater accumulation,” he said.

“The ministry will work in co-ordination and co-operation with the municipal councils to create an inventory of damages so we can study it and prioritise as necessary.

“It is crucial to work together with all relevant parties to help as many people as possible and deal with the situation immediately.”

Mr Al Mubarak praised the dedication of HRH Prince Salman and the efforts of the rain emergency teams, who have been hard at work draining accumulated rainwater and directing traffic in every governorate.

He confirmed that the ministry would continue to work tirelessly over the next few days to ensure things return to normal as soon as possible.

Works Minister Ibrahim Al Hawaj stated that the ministry’s damage assessment committee was co-ordinating with municipal councils to monitor damages to homes in order to compensate people affected.

“The ministry will develop action plans for areas with accumulated rainwater, especially in residential areas.

“We will also work on plans for improving infrastructure in order to minimise damage in case of heavy rainfall in the future.”

For more information on how to apply for compensation, those in the Northern, Southern and Muharraq governorates, can call the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry on 80008188, or the Works Ministry on 17545544.

Those in the Capital Governorate can fill up a form and call the above hotlines for more instructions. (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FORM)

The GDN reported last December that His Majesty King Hamad announced the kingdom’s National Action Plan, “Blueprint Bahrain”, aimed at achieving carbon neutrality.

This was done at the World Climate Action Summit which was part of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) held in Dubai.

Bahrain aims to reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2035, and to reach net zero in 2060, with the aim to achieve carbon neutrality through three tracks: low-carbon economy, climate change adaptation, and creating sustainable opportunities in a green economy.

A $750 million climate technology fund was launched, and the “Safa” carbon offsetting platform was also established.