Latest news with #DrDianaFrancis
The National
17-06-2025
- Science
- The National
Vegetation in UAE deserts grew by 40% after 2024 floods
The flood that hit the UAE in April last year caused an increase in greenery in the country's desert landscapes, research has found. Vegetation in some areas increased by up to 40 per cent compared to the same time in 2023 and this has had a lasting impact, which is 'very surprising', climate scientist Dr Diana Francis told The National. 'If you drive through the desert now, you'll see green patches growing on the dunes. That's not something we are used to seeing in the UAE,' she added. Dr Francis, head of the environmental and geophysical sciences lab at Khalifa University, co-wrote the paper published in the npj Climate and Atmospheric Science journal. She said it provided evidence that extreme weather was beginning to reshape ecosystems and alter local climates. 'Of course, this has an impact on the ecosystem, on the biodiversity, the small animals that live there, and also in the long term,' she said. Boosting biodiversity Dr Andrew Gardner, associate director of biodiversity conservation at Emirates Nature-WWF, agreed that weather events such as the 2024 floods can have a profound impact on local ecosystems. 'Such rare bursts of vegetation can temporarily boost biodiversity. Insects become more abundant, which supports lizards and, in turn, predators like snakes,' he said. 'In May [2024], for instance, we witnessed a dramatic emergence of snout moths, whose caterpillars feed on these desert plants,' he said. This biodiversity also supports small mammals such as gerbils and their predators, including falcons and desert monitor lizards. However, Dr Gardner warned that such ecological responses are fascinating but 'they are short-term and cannot offset the broader risks and disruptions posed by increasingly erratic climate patterns'. Shifting tropical boundaries Such weather could potentially cause climate zones to shift, Dr Francis said. 'More vegetation means more moisture exchange and can even shift the boundary between arid and tropical zones.' She said her study, which was published in May, aligns with earlier work suggesting the tropics are expanding, bringing more humid conditions to traditionally dry areas. That could fundamentally alter ecosystems and biodiversity in the Middle East. Dr Gardner added that, in the Abu Dhabi desert, a flush of ephemeral plants – which grow only briefly when conditions are favourable – was observed. 'Remarkably, some of this vegetation has persisted even in the absence of further rainfall into 2024,' he added. While 2024 was the wettest year on record for the UAE, 2025 has so far has been the driest, with April and May breaching temperature records. Such fluctuations are driven by climate change, Dr Francis said. Climate concern The study confirmed that human-driven climate change made last year's rainfall in the UAE, the heaviest in 75 years, far more likely in the future. The research used cutting-edge climate attribution science to examine the rainfall, Dr Francis explained. 'We compare simulations of the actual event with a hypothetical version under pre-industrial conditions. What we found was that anthropogenic [human-influenced] climate change dramatically increased both the intensity and likelihood of this event,' she said. Is extreme weather the new normal? Dr Francis said fluctuations between extreme heat and extreme rainfall showed 'the fingerprint of climate change'. 'The Arabian Sea is warming rapidly, and with warmer oceans comes more evaporation, which fuels heavier rainfall events,' she added. A key finding of the study was the role of a weather pattern that meant saturated air from the Arabian Sea lingered over the UAE for 12 hours, significantly compounding the severity of last year's storm. 'Such events usually pass within hours,' Dr Francis explained. 'But this one was sustained due to unusual atmospheric and oceanic conditions. With ocean surface temperatures rising, similar set-ups are increasingly likely.' Need for resilient cities The study includes an analysis of the effect of the flooding on urban infrastructure. The findings suggest existing drainage systems and land use policies need to be enhanced to cope with such extreme weather. 'Our cities are not designed to absorb these volumes of water,' Dr Francis said. 'If we keep covering land with impermeable concrete, water has nowhere to go. We need to rethink urban planning with more green space and better drainage to reduce future damage.' Plans are already under way. In Dubai, a Dh30 billion ($8.16 billion) drainage plan was approved last year. The system aims to increase rainwater drainage capacity by 700 per cent, meet the emirate's needs for 100 years and ensure the city is ready to face 'climate-related challenges'. Hot topic Dr Francis and her team are turning their attention to extreme heat. 'We're studying past heatwaves from a public health perspective, and we're also integrating artificial intelligence into weather models,' she said. 'AI might help us improve the short-term forecasting of extreme events.' She also said more vegetation in the desert would affect its ability to reflect solar radiation back into the atmosphere, potentially leading to hotter conditions. 'Instead of being all yellow, it is now yellow and green,' she said. 'It's not the same energy that is being absorbed by the surface of the desert.'
The National
03-06-2025
- Climate
- The National
UAE has hottest May on record after temperatures top 50°C
The UAE experienced its hottest May on record with peak daily temperatures averaging more than 40°C, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has confirmed. It comes after a scorching month when the Emirates broke May daily temperature highs for two days in a row and follows the hottest April since records began in the early 2000s. The mercury rose to a sizzling 51.6°C in the Sweihan area close to Al Ain in Abu Dhabi emirate on May 24. It followed the previous day's record of 50.4°C, also in Abu Dhabi emirate, and beat the existing May record of 50.2°C, noted in 2009 at Um Azimul and Fujairah airport. It was, however, short of the all-time record of 52°C from 2010 in Al Yasat. An NMC forecaster said the average maximum temperature for May was 40.4°C – compared with overall maximum averages from 2003 to 2024 of 39.2°C. The average temperature for May was 33.2°C – compared with the historical average of 32.2°C. The unseasonal heatwave baking the UAE was caused partly by winds from the south-west bringing heat from the desert. But scientists have repeatedly said climate change is also set to bring longer and hotter summers in addition to more extreme weather events. Global temperatures surge 'We are experiencing a shift in the seasons, especially the warm seasons.' said Dr Diana Francis, an assistant professor and head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (Engeos) lab at Khalifa University. 'They are expected to become longer, meaning they will start earlier and end later than the known seasons. 'This is related to the increase in the global temperature, its average surpassing the pre-industrial level by 1.5C in 2024. And 2025 is on the way to be at least similar to 2024.' Dr Francis also pointed to El Nino, a warming of the equatorial Pacific that stopped in 2024, as another factor. It means less rain for the Middle East and a lot of heat because when it ends, she said, the way moisture is carried towards the Middle East weakens (due to a shift in subtropical jet circulation), and regional high-pressure dominance increases. Both of which result in less rainfall for the region. 'The soil is very dry and it warms up more quickly than if it was moist,' she added. 'This can contribute to what we witnessed during May, for instance, here in the UAE with record-high temperatures for this time of the year.' It also comes as global climate records continue to be broken. Last year was the world's hottest on record, scientists from the European Copernicus climate service confirmed. It broke the record set in 2023. Many countries in the Middle East and across the globe have experienced scorching weather into this year. The temperature in Kuwait remained close to 50°C last month, while Morocco issued a heatwave alert in several areas. Sea temperatures around the UK and Ireland last month were 4°C warmer than normal, according to scientists at the National Oceanography Centre and the Met Office. And over the past week China, parts of the US, Canada and other European countries has seen the mercury soar. The high temperatures prompted the NCM last month to issue a heat warning, urging people to drink fluids, avoid direct exposure to the sun, ensure children are not left in cars and to make sure pets have plenty to drink. This year's heat compares starkly with 2024, when the UAE in April was hit by severe floods. It stands in further contrast to 2023, when the UAE experienced its coldest April on record. The good news for UAE residents is that June is off to a slightly cooler start, with the NCM forecasting a decrease in temperatures over the next few days. Fresh north-westerly winds coming down from the Gulf will bring the relief but gusts of up 45kph could also kick up dust and sand. The conditions are expected to last until the weekend.
UAE Moments
09-05-2025
- Climate
- UAE Moments
UAE Sees Hottest April on Record with 42.6°C Temperatures
After weeks of intense heat, people in the UAE can finally expect some relief. Forecasters say temperatures will slightly cool starting today, Tuesday, due to shifting wind patterns across the Gulf. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) confirmed that these changes should help ease the scorching conditions that have gripped the country recently. April broke heat records in the UAE April 2024 was officially the hottest since the UAE began tracking weather data in 2003. According to the NCM, the average daily high for the month hit 42.6°C. In some parts of the country, temperatures soared well into the upper 40s. On Friday, Sweihan in Abu Dhabi recorded a high of 46.2°C — one of the most extreme temperatures seen this year. Experts warn: summers are getting longer Climate experts are raising red flags. Dr. Diana Francis, a climate scientist at Khalifa University, says UAE summers are already around 10 days longer than before — and they could stretch to six months in the future. Shorter spring and fall seasons could soon become the new normal, she added. UAE's heat extremes continue in May The NCM's latest May climate report shows temperatures continue to rise as summer approaches.
