The UAE witnessed its heaviest rain ever recorded, causing chaos around the desert nation and disrupting operations at Dubai International Airport since Monday.
The impact of the heavy rain continued to be felt on Wednesday, with roads blocked and flights severely disrupted.
Passengers in Dubai have been advised against travelling to the airport unless absolutely necessary to prevent overcrowding on the roads and highways.
The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20mm of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storms intensified on Tuesday morning and continued throughout the day, easing up only later that same day.
On Wednesday morning, the flooding had left “limited transportation options” and affected flights as aircraft crew were unable to reach the airfield, reported the airport. Some aircraft had been diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, the city-state’s second airfield.
About 300 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, and hundreds more were delayed.
Longhaul carrier Emirates and its low-cost sister airline, FlyDubai had major disruptions, with some foreign airlines cancelling flights to Dubai.
While Dubai International Airport has received some inbound flights today, outbound flights continue to be delayed.
As the UAE only experiences few rain periods in a year, it lacks the needed drainage infrastructure to handle heavy rain. However, it is not uncommon for roads to become partially submerged underwater during extended periods of rainfall.
There is also speculation that the flooding was caused by cloud seeding, though this has not been confirmed.
Authorities have warned that more thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds were forecast.
