Dubai:

The death toll from heavy rains in the United Arab Emirates earlier this week rose to four, authorities said on Friday, flooding roads and blocking Dubai International Airport.

The storm first hit Oman over the weekend, killing at least 20 people, before hitting the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, bringing the heaviest rainfall in 75 years.

The Manila government said flooding killed two Filipino women and a man in their car. In the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, an Emirati man in his 70s also died after his vehicle was swept away by floods.

Scientists blame increasingly common extreme weather events, such as the rains in the UAE and Oman, on human-induced global warming.

Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports and a travel hub in the Middle East, is still trying to clear a backlog of flights three days after the storm.

Entry is restricted for two days until Sunday.

Emirates, the flagship airline of one of the world’s largest international airlines, said check-in for passengers planning to connect via Dubai has been suspended, but passengers with Dubai as their final destination can travel as usual.

As of Friday morning, 1,478 flights to and from Dubai had been canceled since Tuesday, accounting for about 30% of all flights, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

In the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, state-owned airline Etihad Airways said flight operations had returned to normal.

The main road linking the most populous emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi remained partially closed on Friday, while on another route vehicles drove through low water on the hard shoulder, past abandoned cars and buses.

In the northern United Arab Emirates, including the emirate of Sharjah, local media reported that people were still trapped in their homes. Residents said businesses suffered significant damage.

It rarely rains in the UAE, and the country is known for its hot desert climate and summer temperatures that can soar above 50 degrees Celsius.

The UAE National Meteorological Center said rain was likely to return later on Monday, but light rain was expected in some areas on Tuesday, with the possibility of heavy rain again.

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