dubai. Severe thunderstorms battered the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, dumping some of the country’s heaviest rain on record in a matter of hours, flooding parts of a major highway and Dubai International Airport. Meanwhile, Indonesian celebrity couple Dimas Set and Dini Aminulti have shared their experience of being stranded at the airport for eight hours during a trip to Dubai.
The state-run WAM news agency called the rains a “historic weather event” that surpassed “any weather event recorded since data collection began in 1949.” That was before oil was discovered in this energy-rich country, which was then part of a British protectorate known as the Truce Province.
The rain started late on Monday, soaking Dubai’s sand and roads with about 20 millimeters (0.79 inches), according to weather data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storm intensified around 9 a.m. Tuesday morning and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail on the overwhelmed city.
By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rain had soaked Dubai in 24 hours. In a typical year, 94.7 mm (3.73 inches) of rain falls at Dubai International Airport. Dubai International Airport is the world’s busiest airport for international travel and is also the hub for long-haul airline Emirates.
At the airport, standing water washed onto the taxiway as planes landed. The airport suspended arrivals Tuesday night, with passengers struggling to reach the terminal through floodwaters covering surrounding roads.
Indonesian celebrity couple Dimas Set and Dini Aminulti experienced an eight-hour flight delay during their trip to Dubai.
“Departure was originally scheduled [Wednesday] 5:40pm local time, then postponed to 9pm, then until 10pm, and finally departed early in the morning at 1am,” Dimas Seto said on his Instagram account on Thursday.
“We fly Emirates and experience very long delays,” he said.
Dimas Seto and his wife asked for prayers for their safe arrival.
“Please pray for a safe journey and for the next 16 hours of flight. God willing,” he added.
“I hope everything goes well and the flooding in Dubai subsides soon,” he concluded.
Dubai International Airport confirmed on Wednesday morning that flights had been affected due to flooding, with “limited access” and flight crews unable to reach the airfield.
“Recovery will take time. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we work through these challenges,” the airport said on social platform X.
Police and emergency workers drove slowly through Dubai’s flooded streets. Lightning streaked across the sky Tuesday, occasionally touching the tip of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. The city’s unmanned subway system was also disrupted, with stations flooded.
Schools across the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, were largely closed ahead of the storm, with most government employees working remotely where possible. Many workers stayed home as well, but others ventured out as their vehicles stalled in deeper-than-expected water covering some roads.
Authorities sent tanker trucks to streets and highways to pump out water. Water flooded into some houses, forcing people to save their homes.
The country’s hereditary rulers did not provide any general damage or injury information on Tuesday night, as some people slept in flooded cars. In Ras Al Khaimah, the country’s northernmost emirate, police said a 70-year-old man was killed when his car was swept away by floodwaters.
The heaviest rain fell on Tuesday in the eastern emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with 145 millimeters (5.7 inches) of rain falling.
Authorities canceled schools and the government reintroduced working from home starting Wednesday.
Rain is rare in the UAE, an arid country on the Arabian Peninsula, but it does rain regularly during the cold winter months. Due to the lack of regular rain, many roads and other areas lack drainage, causing flooding.
It also rained in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Heavy rains in recent days have killed at least 18 people in neighboring Oman, on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the country’s National Emergency Management Committee said in a statement on Tuesday. About 10 school children were also swept away by a car, and rulers of the region sent condolences to the country.
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