Dubai, known for its dry climate, was hit by unprecedented torrential rains on Tuesday, turning roads into rapids and flooding residential and commercial buildings.
According to British media on April 17, camera footage captured the scene of Dubai International Airport, the world's second-busiest airport, flooded, with planes moving across the flooded tarmac as if it were a makeshift waterway. The chaos caused by the flooding extended to airport operations, with access blocked by flooding and major airlines reporting flight delays. Bilal, a 25-year-old passenger, was stranded overnight at the airport and was unable to leave due to lack of transportation.
"The airport is almost overcrowded, and no one has anywhere to go," he said. ”
Meanwhile, Dubai airport operations continued to be disrupted until Wednesday, with roads clogged with flooding and multiple airlines, including flag carrier Emirates, reporting flight delays. Low-cost airline Flydubai canceled all flights before 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
Due to "adverse weather and road conditions creating operational challenges", Emirates will suspend check-in for passengers departing from Dubai from 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday until midnight local time on Thursday.
Dubai International Airport also advised people to "not go to the airport unless absolutely necessary" and said that "flights continue to be delayed and diverted". The airline said passengers who have already crossed the border will continue to be processed, but warned that passengers may experience departure and arrival delays.
In just 24 hours, Dubai was hit by more than two years of rainfall. According to the Dubai Meteorological Department, cities in the United Arab Emirates recorded more than half a foot (6.26 inches) of rain between 10 p.m. on Monday and 10 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
Such a violent downpour forced car drivers to abandon their vehicles as the roads turned into rushing rivers. Videos circulating on social media showed water flowing through the mall, flooding the ground floor of residential buildings, showing the scale of the disaster.
Dubai's hot, dry climate, typical of the United Arab Emirates, usually rains very little. As a result, the city's infrastructure, including its drainage system, often struggles to cope with extreme weather events.
However, recent flooding has highlighted the growing threat posed by climate change, and the frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events are expected to increase. As the atmosphere warms, it is able to absorb and release more water, leading to a more pronounced situation of flooding.
Dubai's unprecedented rainfall has been attributed to a larger storm system that crosses the Arabian Peninsula and crosses the Gulf of Oman. The system also brought unusually wet weather to neighbouring Oman and southeastern Iran. Although rain is expected to gradually decrease in the area, some scattered showers are likely to persist before dry weather returns.