In August last year, the UN revealed that humans have caused irreversible damage to planet earth as nations failed to minimise fossil-fuel emissions.

Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) is taking action against “some” contractors for failing to adhere to rain preparation procedures, Doha’s state news agency (QNA) reported on Saturday.

“The reason for rainwater gathering in the Corniche is the incompleteness of the rain drainage network and the failure of some to adhere to the rain preparation procedures by some contractors, consultants and Ashghal, and the necessary action will be taken towards them,” Ashghal’s Head Saad Al Muhannadi told QNA.

This came following surprising heavy rainfalls on Thursday, the worst of which to strike Qatar during the month of July in decades. Footage that circulated on social media showed a part of the Corniche flooded following the rainfall.

Al Muhannadi noted that Qatar expects more “exceptional rains in the coming years as a result of climate change” and the authority is working on reducing its impacts on the streets. He also said that in the event that rain accumulates, it is automatically drained through a network, which takes time to drain.

“We are proud of the Qatari and foreign cadres in Ashghal at all levels. They are responsible and committed to providing services in line with the aspirations of everyone and we are not looking for excuses,” added Al Muhannadi.

Heaviest rainfall in 60 years

Meanwhile, Director of the Meteorology Department at the Civil Aviation Authority Abdullah Mohammed Al Mannai confirmed to the media that Thursday’s rain was the heaviest witnessed in 60 years during the month of July.

Speaking to Al Rayyan TV, Al Mannai confirmed that the last such occurrence was witnessed in 1962, denying that the reason is tied to climate change. Instead, the Qatari weather official said the reason is due to the increase in humidity and condensation of water vapour.

“During the past three years, there was a record of rainfall that was not in the same quantity or in an exceptional amount…we will witness next year a decrease in temperature, but these changes are temporary,” said Al Mannai.

Concerns over climate change reignited this summer as Europe faced record high temperatures.

According to The Guardian, temperatures recorded in the UK are the highest in 40 years for both June and July, with London witnessing its highest ever temperature on 19 July at 40 degrees celsius.

The heatwave has led to wildfires across some parts of the continent, including in Spain, France, the UK, and Greece.

Last week, Spain said at least 500 people died during a 10-day heatwave.

“This has nothing to do with ideologies, but with a reality, with a climatic emergency that the planet is living through,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said last week.

Code Red for humanity

In August last year, the UN revealed that humans have caused irreversible damage to planet earth as nations failed to minimise fossil-fuel emissions.

According to the report – approved by 195 governments and based on more than 14,000 studies – global warming will continue to intensify over the next 30 years, with just a small window of opportunity remaining to prevent more drastic consequences of the climate crisis.

Since the 19th century, humans have caused the planet to heat by around 1.1 degrees Celsius and global warming is expected to rise to about 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next two decades, with more heat-waves expected to occur in the future.

The report said heat waves used to occur once every 50 years, whereas now they happen once per decade due to global warming, as droughts become more common than ever. Heavy rain is now 1.3 times more likely.

If no action is taken, summertime sea ice atop the Arctic Ocean is expected to completely be wiped out by 2050, with sea levels expected to continue to rise for hundreds or thousands of years even if global warming is contained at 1.5 degrees Celsius.

However, experts say immediate action to contain carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere by 2050 can limit the damage the planet has already sustained.