The largest city in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, was flooded as a result of heavy rainfall, which is extremely uncharacteristic for this region.
The rains in Dubai began on the night of Tuesday, April 16. Major highways and many low-lying streets were flooded. There were stalled cars on many roads, the drivers of which were unable to get out of the puddles.
The country’s authorities urged residents not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary; government institutions, as well as schools and universities, switched to remote work; Many private companies followed suit. The movement of public transport was disrupted, and the metro was also intermittent – one of the stations was flooded. All upcoming matches in the UAE Football Championship have been cancelled.
Dubai International Airport, one of the largest air hubs in the world, stopped accepting flights “until the meteorological situation improves” due to rain on the afternoon of April 16. Incoming flights are diverted to nearby Abu Dhabi Airport. Many airlines have canceled flights to and from Dubai, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the airport.
The first floors of many buildings were flooded. Among them is the Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping centers in the world, where, among other things, pipes burst.
Expected, that in total, up to 150 millimeters of precipitation will fall in Dubai in one and a half days – about one and a half times more than the annual norm. The showers are expected to end on Wednesday, April 17.
Dubai is one of the driest cities in the world; on average, only 17 days of precipitation are recorded here per year, which normally occurs from December to March.
