UAE: Dubai airport flooded, flights diverted after heavy rain
The sudden and heavy rain across several parts of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, brought with itself widespread flooding—severely impacting transportation and other services in the country. Nearly 100 mm of rain fell in 12 hours, reports said—which is what Dubai measures in an entire year. Extreme weather conditions forced Dubai International Airport to suspend operations for 25 minutes. Videos on social media showed planes taxiing on flooded runways and cars half-submerged in water at the airport's parking lot.
Flight operations disrupted at Dubai International Airport
The airport's website reported several flights scheduled for April 16 were either delayed or canceled due to the extreme weather. Destinations affected included India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. At 7:26pm local time, airport authorities confirmed a "gradual resumption" of arrivals more than two hours after a temporary cessation. Despite the storm's disruption, departure flights continued to operate during the evening but faced delays and cancellations.
Flydubai halts flights, flooding extends beyond airport
Flydubai, a local airline, temporarily halted all its flights departing from Dubai until Wednesday morning due to the adverse weather conditions. Passengers whose final destination was not Dubai were advised against traveling during this period. The flooding also affected major shopping centers like Dubai Mall and Mall of Emirates. Water reached ankle-deep levels in a Dubai Metro station and social media platforms were flooded with images of cars being swept off roads and mall ceilings collapsing due to water overflow.
Gulf Peninsula regions also impacted by heavy rainfall
The heavy rainfall also affected other regions of the Gulf Peninsula. In Oman, severe rainfall led to at least 18 fatalities. Bahrain experienced heavy rainfall that resulted in subsequent flooding, with vehicles stranded on waterlogged roads. The Asian Champions League football semi-final match between the UAE's Al Ain and Saudi side Al Hilal was delayed by 24 hours due to the weather. Both Oman and the UAE have previously issued warnings about potential increase in flooding due to global warming.