In just 12 hours, as much rain fell in Dubai on Tuesday as it usually does in the whole year. This led to a huge chaos in the city, the roads became impassable, the airport had to be closed and even the shops were flooded, writes the BBC British news agency.
All operations at Dubai International Airport were suspended for 25 minutes and inbound flights were diverted to other airports until weather conditions improved.
We are temporarily diverting arriving flights this evening until the weather conditions improve. Departures will continue to operate.
Together with our partners, we’re working to restore normal operations and minimise inconvenience to you.
Follow @DXB for further updates.
— DXB (@DXB) April 16, 2024
Schools were also closed for the period and many government employees were forced to do their work online. Those who did try to drive in the middle of the torrential rains could only move with difficulty or with difficulty. Many were forced to abandon their cars as the water continued to rise beneath them.
The United Arab Emirates is characterized by a hot and dry climate, rains occur intermittently in the winter period, so the infrastructure is not suitable for handling such extremes. The heavy rain is caused by a major storm system moving across the Arabian Peninsula. The same storm system also produced unusually wet weather in nearby Oman and southeastern Iran.
Experts have been trying to warn about the consequences of climate change for years, and unpredictable weather is one of them.
Cover image: A car drives through a flooded street in Dubai on April 17, 2024 (Photo: AFP/Giuseppe Cacace)
