Flooded UAE counts cost of epic rainstorm amid flight disruptions

Emergency workers tried to clear waterlogged roads and people assessed damage to homes and businesses yesterday after a rare rainstorm swamped the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded after Tuesday’s deluge.

The rains were the heaviest experienced by the Gulf state in the 75 years that records have been kept.

They brought much of the country to a standstill and caused significant damage.

Flooding trapped residents in traffic, offices and homes, while footage circulated on social media showed malls overrun with water pouring from roofs.

Traffic remained heavily disrupted. A highway through Dubai was reduced to a single lane in one direction, bringing traffic to a standstill, while the main road that connects Dubai with Abu Dhabi was closed in the Abu Dhabi direction.

In Dubai, some vehicles, including buses, were almost entirely submerged in water.

Emergency workers used a fire truck to pump water from a road flooded in nearly waistdeep water as drivers tried to pass, navigating around abandoned vehicles.

Operations at Dubai airport remain disrupted after the storm flooded the runway.

The airport said yesterday morning it had resumed receiving inbound flights at Terminal 1, used by foreign carriers, but that flights continued to be delayed and disrupted.

It said later check-in was open at Terminal 3 for Emirates and flydubai flights, but cautioned there was a large number of people waiting to check in and said travellers should only arrive at the terminal if they had departure confirmation from their airline.

Emirates, the single largest carrier at the airport, had stopped all check-in procedures on Wednesday.

The airport struggled to get food to stranded passengers with nearby roads blocked by flood waters, and because overcrowding limited access to those who had confirmed bookings.

The storm, which hit Oman on Sunday, pounded the UAE on Tuesday, flooding roads and causing gridlock as rainwater inundated homes.

One person was reported dead in the UAE and 20 in Oman.

While some roadways into hard-hit communities remain flooded, many groceries began to restock shelves, though fresh products still appeared in shorter supply than usual.

Delivery services across Dubai, where residents are used to ordering everything at the click of a button, slowly began returning after being largely out of service for two days.

Rainfall is rare in the UAE and elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula, which is typically known for its dry desert climate. Summer air temperatures can soar above 50°C.

After Tuesday’s events, questions were raised whether cloud seeding a process of manipulating clouds to increase rainfall

could have caused the rains, but a UAE government agency denied any such operations took place before the storm.