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Geographical skills: Preparing for your geography fieldwork

case study

Flooding in the Middle East, 2024

GCSE geography specifications expect you to know about the impacts of flooding. This article provides a case study of the floods caused by unexpected and unusually heavy rainfall in some Middle Eastern countries in April 2024.

Photograph showing a flooded metropolitan area of Dubai
Floodwater covers a major road in Dubai, UAE, in April 2024
© Associated Press/Alamy Stock Photo

In April 2024, several parts of the Middle East, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ground to a halt as schools closed, flights were cancelled and homes, businesses and roads flooded. Record-breaking rainfall brought by a series of thunderstorms hit the area which led to flash-flooding in this usually arid region. Rainstorms are not unusual in Britain, but in this part of the Middle East it is almost unheard of because these desert countries receive very little rain, especially in April. Average rainfall in Bahrain is about 70 mm a year compared to almost 600 mm in London.

In a region unprepared for heavy rainfall the effects were immediate. Transport ground to a halt as cars were submerged and airport runways were flooded. Motorists were trapped on highways with many people having to swim to safety. Residents in several areas were forced to watch as vehicles were carried away from their homes and possessions fell from balconies, damaging cars below.

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Landscapes pictured: The structure of the rainforest

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Geographical skills: Preparing for your geography fieldwork

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