Video: Dubai airport flooded, flights diverted after heavy rain

Videos circulating on social media showed planes taxiing on flooded runways.

New Delhi:

Dubai, which normally suffers from drought and scorching temperatures, was plunged into chaos on Tuesday as heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates (UAE), disrupting air travel and causing widespread flooding across the desert country. The sudden floods not only paralyzed the bustling city but also raised concerns about the increasingly clear impact of climate change on extreme weather events in the region.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest aviation hub for international passengers, was forced to divert numerous incoming flights on Tuesday as heavy downpours made flight operations hazardous. The airport, which normally sees more than 100 flight arrivals on a typical evening, experienced a rare suspension of flights, which gradually resumed after 25 minutes. Although outbound flights resumed in the evening, flight operations still encountered delays and cancellations.

dubai airport now
pic.twitter.com/FX992PQvAU

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Videos circulating on social media showed planes taxiing on flooded runways and cars in airport parking lots half-submerged in water. The road leading to the airport was also flooded.

The city’s major infrastructure, including flagship shopping malls such as The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, were flooded, and at least one Dubai Metro station was submerged in ankle-deep water. Roads collapsed, residential areas were flooded, and there were reports of leaking roofs, doors and windows in many homes.

Dubai current weather pic.twitter.com/v6dqxaA97A

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The storm’s impact extended beyond Dubai, with similar scenes of flooding and chaos experienced across the UAE and neighboring Bahrain. Schools across the UAE have been closed and further storms including hail are expected today, prompting authorities to extend remote working arrangements for government employees, AFP reported.

WATCH: Dubai Metro stations flooded, streets inundated by heavy rains

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The damage was particularly severe in Oman, where the storm initially hit, where flash flooding killed 18 people, including children. Bahrain also suffered flooding from the storm.

Oman and the United Arab Emirates, hosts of last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference Conference of the Parties 28, had previously warned that global warming would increase the likelihood of flooding.