Severe weather has brought unprecedented rainfall to the Gulf states, causing significant disruption at Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. The airport faced “very challenging conditions,” leading to the cancellation of about 300 flights on Wednesday, with many passengers advised to stay away from Terminal 1 unless their flights were confirmed, as parts of the airport were submerged.
To the north, the storms claimed a life due to flash floods, while in neighboring Oman, the discovery of a young girl’s body in Saham raised the storm-related death toll to 19 since the adverse weather began on Sunday.
Flight Aware data revealed substantial delays and cancellations affecting the Dubai hub, which served more than 80 million passengers last year, making it the world’s second busiest airport. Recovery efforts are expected to take some time, according to airport authorities.
Emirates, the major airline based in Dubai, halted check-ins for flights departing from the city until Thursday. Meanwhile, meteorological authorities forecast continued thunderstorms and heavy rain, which could exacerbate conditions in already flooded low-lying areas.
Significant rainfall was recorded on Tuesday, marking it as the largest rainfall event in 75 years for the United Arab Emirates. The National Centre of Meteorology reported that 254.8mm (9.7 inches) of rain had fallen within 24 hours in Khatm al-Shakla, Al-Ain region.
This is far above the annual averages for the UAE and Dubai, which are 140-200 mm and 97 mm respectively, with April typically seeing only about 8mm.
Visuals from central Dubai showed numerous vehicles submerged along a flooded stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road, causing extensive traffic delays.
The situation at Dubai International Airport was chaotic, with many passengers, including tourists like Kate and Andrew Golding from Kent, stranded for hours. The couple, who were in Dubai to celebrate Kate’s 60th birthday, described the scene as a breakdown in organization and communication within the airport.
“People are sleeping in lounges, on floors, amidst littered food packets. It’s a pretty filthy experience really,” Andrew Golding told BBC News, expressing disappointment particularly with Emirates for the lack of staff and coordination.
Emirates has been contacted by BBC News for a response to these criticisms.
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