Claim: A viral Snapchat mashup shows several video clips of the recent rainstorm in the UAE.
Fact: All ten of these clips are from last year, 2023.
On 16 April 2024, Soch Fact Check received a request to verify a mashup of video clips which was “Forwarded many times” on WhatsApp. The video shows multiple clips of a rainstorm, heavy winds and collateral damage. Arabic text is placed at the top and bottom of the screen. The bottom text can be roughly translated to, “May God protect the winds in the Emirates. Severe and heavy rain,” the one on top can be translated to, “Oh God, your kindness.”
The video, shared over WhatsApp has been uploaded to Google Drive, here.
This video was shared as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced its heaviest rainfall in 75 years, causing flooding and chaos
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check, extracted the following key-frames from this video and reverse image searched them independently.
By triangulating our search, we found that this collage of videos was first shared on social media on Instagram on 9 August 2023 by @homeplus_ir with the following caption:
“تصاویری از طوفان دیروز در امارات”
[Translation: Visuals from the flood of Derouz in the Emirates]
The collage of videos, shared in the claim shows a total of ten clips, which can all be exactly mapped onto the Instagram post from 2023, in the exact same sequence.
We found this article from Al Jazeera, titled “Extreme weather brings winds, fierce rains to Saudi Arabia’s Mecca”, from August 2023, claiming that 45 millimetres was recorded within 24 hours in Saudi Arabia. We also found this article from The National News, published on 11 August 2023 with the headline, “UAE weather: Heavy rain and hail in Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah.” The article claims that strong winds of 15 to 25 kph were recorded, alongside rainfall and dust storms leading to reduced visibility.
This X user also shared 4 of these clips here on 6 August 2023, claiming that they show Sharjah on 5 August 2023.
We also found this article from 8 August 2023, published by weatherandradar.com, claiming that Dubai was hit with “hurricane-force winds” on Saturday, 5 August 2023. We also found this article from Al Arabiya, which features one of the key-frames we searched as its cover image. Published on 5 August 2023, the article claims that the image shows strong winds in Tanuma, southwest of Saudi Arabia.
The evidence proves that this collage of videos is from August 2023 and not from the rainstorms in Dubai from 2024.
Virality
The claim shared over WhatsApp was labelled “Forwarded many times”. The original claim shared on Snapchat can be found here.
It was also shared on Instagram here.
On X, the claim was shared here.
On YouTube it was shared here, and here, some of the video clips were also shared in collages here and here.
On TikTok it was shared here
Conclusion: Old video clips are being falsely attributed to recent weather conditions in Dubai.
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Background image in cover photo: The National
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