Chaotic situation in Dubai/ Roads have turned into rivers, after record rainfall

2024-04-17 15:39:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Chaotic situation in Dubai/ Roads have turned into rivers, after record rainfall

Flooding of Dubai International Airport

The floods that have hit Dubai and other Gulf countries in recent hours are unprecedented.

International media reflect unimaginable images of the prevailing chaos.

Yesterday, within 24 hours, the amount of rain that fell in Dubai was the amount of rain that fell in two years.

Roads, shopping malls and the international airport have been flooded, while water has also reached the subway, which has led to the cancellation of many routes.

The United Arab Emirates yesterday had recorded the heaviest rainfall in a 24-hour period since records began in 1949, according to the National Meteorological Centre.

The center reported that 254 mm of rain was recorded in less than a day in Al Ain, part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi bordering Oman.

As the Guardian newspaper reports, Dubai International Airport announced today that it is facing serious problems due to bad weather, while Emirates Airlines announced that it is suspending check-in for passengers departing from the airport from 08:00 today until midnight. due to operational problems caused by heavy rainfall and roads that have turned into rivers.

As reported by the British media, the Dubai airport manager announced that flights are delayed or diverted to other airports, while crews cannot approach the airport due to bad weather.

Major malls such as "Dubai Mall" and "Mall of the Emirates" were flooded.

As the French newspaper "Le Figaro" reports, strong storms hit in addition to Dubai, Bahrain, Oman and many areas of Qatar.

In these countries with arid climates, the rainfall has caused extreme flooding, which, in turn, has paralyzed transport.

Yesterday, Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world, diverted several flights, a rare occurrence in the desert country and the financial capital of the Emirates.

Over 100 flights were scheduled last night, which were eventually cancelled.

"Due to adverse weather conditions, Dubai International Airport is temporarily diverting flights expected today until the situation improves," a Dubai airport spokesperson said earlier. Outbound flights are continuing, he said.

Many passengers spent the night at Dubai airport yesterday after being unable to leave.

"Thirteen years we've lived in Dubai, we've never seen such heavy rainfall," Marie, a French expatriate in the Gulf country who was forced to build a makeshift barricade to keep her home from rain, told Le Figaro newspaper. the floods.

Schools remain closed even today, while the government announced the implementation of telework for reasons of citizens' safety./ CNA