Torrential rain flooded roads, homes and malls and briefly halted operations at Dubai International Airport as storms lashed the Gulf on Tuesday.
Dubai, the Middle East’s financial centre, was paralysed by the heavy storms that caused widespread flooding around the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Flagship shopping centres Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding, and water was ankle-deep at at least one Dubai Metro station.
Roads and residential communities also suffered heavy flooding in scenes repeated around the oil-rich Emirates, a desert country where rain is an unusual event.
Schools were shut across the UAE and expected to remain closed on Wednesday, when further storms, including hail, are forecast.
Dubai Airport, the world’s busiest international hub measured by passenger traffic, temporarily suspended operations and cancelled more than 50 flights.
Videos on social media showed planes taxiing across an apron flooded with deep water.
“Due to the intense storm, operations were temporarily suspended for 25 minutes this afternoon, but have since re-commenced, and are now in recovery mode,” a Dubai Airports spokesman said.
The Asian Champions League football semi-final between the UAE’s Al Ain and Saudi side Al Hilal, due to be hosted in Al Ain, was postponed for 24 hours because of the weather.
Some inland areas of the UAE recorded more than 80 millimetres of rain over the 24 hours to 8am, approaching the annual average of about 100mm.
The weather board “urged residents to take all the precautions… and to stay away from areas of flooding and water accumulation”.
The storms in the region left at least 18 people dead in Oman.
