Never since records began has so much rain fallen in such a short period of time in the Dubai region: heavy rainfall has caused chaos on streets and at the airport in the city.
Within 24 hours, the average amount of rainfall for an entire year has fallen in the United Arab Emirates. As a result of the violent storms, numerous streets in the metropolis of Dubai were flooded, and there were chaotic scenes at the city’s airport.
Images on social media showed planes taxiing through ankle-deep water around the terminal. At the Emirates airline, check-ins were temporarily not possible because staff and passengers had difficulty reaching the airport due to flooded access roads and suspended subway lines.
One couple called the situation at the airport “absolute carnage.” “You can’t get a taxi. People sleep in the metro station. There are people who sleep in the airport,” the man told the AP news agency.
The airport said the disruptions would continue for some time and asked for patience: “We are trying to restore operations as quickly as possible under very difficult conditions.”
More than 140 liters of rain per square meter
Dubai recorded 142 liters of rain per square meter on Tuesday alone, the AP news agency reported. Other sources speak of up to 254 liters per square meter. The average annual rainfall in the emirate is 95 to 140 liters per square meter. The most recent storms added hail and storms.
According to police, a 70-year-old man died in Ras al-Khaimah, the northernmost of the seven emirates, when his car was swept away by the floodwaters.
The state media reported the highest rainfall since records began in 1949, well before the founding of the Emirates in 1971.
In the capital Abu Dhabi, schools, government institutions and companies were asked to learn and work from home as much as possible.
In Dubai, those who ventured onto the roads found their vehicles stuck in floodwaters. Some had to sleep in their cars. Authorities sent tankers onto the streets and highways to pump out the water. Water entered some houses.
18 dead in Oman
Rain is rare in the dry Emirates, but occurs regularly in the cooler winter months. Because rain is so rare, many streets and other areas have no drainage. If it rains more heavily, flooding occurs.
There was also rain in Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. In the Sultanate of Oman, 18 people, including ten schoolchildren, died in heavy rain, authorities there said.
Anna Osius, ARD Cairo, tagesschau, April 17, 2024 11:04 a.m