Dubai flooded: A massive storm has lashed the United Arab Emirates (UAE), dumping more than a year and a half of rain on the desert city-state of Dubai in a matter of hours and flooding major highways and its international airport.
According to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport, the rain began late on Monday night, drenching Dubai’s sand and roads with about 20 mm (0.79 in) of rain. The storm intensified around 9 a.m. (05:00 GMT) on Tuesday and continued throughout the day, bringing more rain and hail to the city.
All about Dubai flood
By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 mm (5.59 in) of water had drenched Dubai. Dubai International Airport, which is the world’s busiest for international travel and a hub for long-haul carrier Emirates, receives 94.7 mm (3.73 in) of rainfall in an average year.
At the airport, water accumulated on the taxiway as the aircraft landed. Arrivals at the airport were halted on Tuesday night and passengers struggled to reach terminals as floodwaters covered nearby roads.
The heaviest rainfall occurred in Fujairah
Schools in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, were largely closed before the storm and government workers were mostly working remotely. Many other workers also remained at home, although some ventured out, the unfortunate ones were left stranded in deeper water than expected as the water shut down their vehicles’ engines.
Authorities sent tanker trucks onto roads and highways to remove water, but some homes were also flooded, forcing residents to evacuate. The country did not provide any information on overall damage. In the country’s northernmost emirate Ras al-Khaimah, police said a 70-year-old man died when his vehicle was swept away by floodwaters.
The emirate of Fujairah, on the UAE‘s east coast, received the heaviest rainfall on Tuesday, with 145 mm (5.7 inches).
Officials canceled school and the government resumed remote work on Wednesday.
It also rained in Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
In neighboring Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, the country’s emergency management committee said at least 18 people had died in heavy rain over the past few days. The dead also included 10 schoolchildren who were swept away in the vehicle along with an adult.