Race to escape Dubai after severe thunderstorms cause ‘apocalyptic’ flooding
Families are racing to escape Dubai amid the apocalyptic scenes of flooding overnight – with even more rain on the way.
Thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, dumping more than 4.7 inches of rain – the largest rainfall in the past 75 years.
In Oman, which borders the UAE, a separate rainstorm killed at least 18 people, including 10 schoolchildren swept away in a vehicle.
Dozens of flights from Dubai International Airport – the busiest for international travel in the world – were grounded yesterday after operations were suspended for 25 minutes.
Now the airport has begun turning away passengers altogether, with footage from last night showing passengers sleeping on the airport floor,
‘We advise you NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary,’ the airport said on X at 6am.
‘Flights continue to be delayed and diverted. Please check your flight status directly with your airline.’
The rain, thunder, lightning and hail will begin in the west before spreading eastward, the country’s weather service said.
By this afternoon, the wet and windy weather should ‘gradually decrease’.
Scenes of devastation can be seen across the desert UAE emirate famous for its luxurious, ultramodern architecture.
Videos circulating on social media show yesterday’s rainfall – now turned into a powerful steam of water – bursting through the ceilings of houses, restaurants, bars and shopping centres.
Shoppers in Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates were ankle-deep in water.
Have you been impacted by the flooding chaos in Dubai or are struggling to fly back home? Get in touch by emailing josh.milton@metro.co.uk.
Schools were closed and the Asian Champions League football semi-final between the UAE’s Al Ain and Saudi side Al Hilal was postponed.
The storms not only lashed the UAE but also Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, where emergency authorities told the Oman News Agency that nine schoolchildren and three adults died after flash floods on Sunday.
A child’s body was recovered on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 18 with two still missing.
The country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a grade four weather alert for heavy rainfall yesterday, warning of strong winds and hail expected this morning.
Rain is rare in the UAE, known for its dry desert climate, with yesterday seeing the equivalent of a year’s worth of rain pelting the country.
The National Center of Meteorology said the eastern city of Al Ain, a tourist hotspot, had nearly 255mm of precipitation in less than 24 hours.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.