Airport flooded, roads shut as heavy rains wreak havoc in Dubai; 1 dead in UAE

At least one person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, flooding roads, stranding commuters, disrupting flights and trains, and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings.

The United Arab Emirates witnessed record-breaking rainfall on April 16, with the National Centre of Meteorology recording 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the “Khatm Al Shakla” area in Al Ain, reported local media house The Khaleej Times. It added that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.

Dubai’s streets turned into rivers after heavy rains and flash floods. pic.twitter.com/Isktb7JXia

— DW News (@dwnews) April 16, 2024

The heavy rains in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Several parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which trapped students in buses, swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.

Videos from Dubai, shared on social media, showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other key cities, leaving commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded.

Cars drive through a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 16, 2024. (Reuters)

Another video showed water leaking from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video, reportedly shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Clips from several outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain too showed similar scenes, rendering escalators unusable, reported local media.

Flights into Dubai have been diverted as the desert capital saw a years worth of rain fall in just one day.

More than 120 millimetres of rain fell on Tuesday, with Dubai International Airport flooding.

Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding. pic.twitter.com/2e3nFIp2jY

— The Project (@theprojecttv) April 17, 2024

Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes remain open and the customers are being directed away from affected areas. “As a result of the inclement weather conditions in the UAE, Mall of the Emirates and City Centres are experiencing disruptions to their regular operations. The safety of our customers, staff and tenants is our foremost priority,” it said in a statement, as per The Khaleej Times.

A 40-year-old Emirati man died in Ras Al Khaimah after his car was swept away in flood waters, reported The Khaleej Times.

More rains are expected on Wednesday, but the situation is likely to be less intense, said local media. The National Centre of Meteorology said that from Wednesday morning to afternoon, convective clouds will develop over coastal areas, leading to rainfall, reported The Khaleej Times.

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