The United Arab Emirates has received it’s heaviest rainfall on record since Sunday, surpassing anything on record since the start of data collection in 1949, leading to widespread flooding.
The National Centre of Meteorology said the highest rainfall was recorded in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain, reaching 254mm in less than 24 hours.
Dubai International Airport has been plunged into chaos as hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed after the heavy rains.
Cheers @emirates, thanks for the zero communication, zero support and less than zero help through being stuck in Dubai airport for 24+ hours! #useless🖕🏼🖕🏼 pic.twitter.com/HlWqpcFIOb
— The Northman⚓ 🥶 (@JaysusChrist10) April 18, 2024
The airport on Wednesday advised some passengers not to turn up, with videos online showing roads leading to the airport tarmac turned into a river.
Watch: Dubai airport’s tarmac is flooded after heavy thunderstorms and rain showers batter parts of the UAE. Torrential rains have caused several flight cancelations and travel delays across the country.#Dubai #UAE
Read more: https://t.co/tXGezvhlmJ pic.twitter.com/W4Eo5qvYsu
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) April 16, 2024
The airport has warned recovery would take “some time” after 290 flights were cancelled, and 440 delayed.
As we recover from operational challenges caused due to unprecedented weather (highest recorded rainfall in 75 years), we've compiled answers to your most frequently asked questions below 👇🧵
Thank you for your patience & understanding during this time. Follow @DXB for updates.
— DXB (@DXB) April 17, 2024
Emirates airline earlier said check-in for passengers departing from the city would only resume Thursday.
Emirates is extending the suspension of check-in for passengers departing Dubai effective until 09:00am on 18 April, due to continued operational challenges caused by bad weather and road conditions. (1/7) pic.twitter.com/hlc195yhFa
— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) April 17, 2024
19 people have died across the UAE in the flooding since Sunday, the majority in Oman.
An elderly Emirati man died on Tuesday morning, when his vehicle was swept away in flash floods in Ras Al Khaimah. Police said he was attempting to travel through a flooded river.
In recent years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced heavy rainfall events that have caused significant impacts due to the region’s arid climate and limited infrastructure for managing large amounts of water.
In January 2020, for example, the UAE experienced unusually heavy rainfall, particularly in the eastern parts of the country, including Dubai and Sharjah.
The heavy rain also resulted in flooding in several areas, leading to traffic congestion, school closures, and damage to property and infrastructure.
There have been suggestions that the latest bout of flooding may have been caused by ”cloud seeding”.
But the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology says it had not carried out this weather modification technique in the run-up to the heavy storms that caused flooding in Dubai.
Dubai: Did cloud seeding cause the flooding in UAE? https://t.co/7BBG3dF7D7
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 17, 2024
