Torrential rains and violent thunderstorms have brought apocalyptic scenes to the plush desert playground of Dubai as parts of the Gulf are brought to a standstill with authorities underprepared for the relentless deluge.
Video showed luxury cars swamped in deep water, with waves buffeting the traffic as lanes were brought to a complete standstill. High-end muscle cars and Teslas were seen wading through the floods as authorities advised people to stay home.
Nearly 50 flights in and out of Dubai have been cancelled since this morning, with shocking video circulating online showing several jets swamped in deep water at Dubai International Airport, the busiest for international travel.
Flooding hit many areas of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, and cut off major roads, leaving rows of luxury cars stranded as residents and tourists were forced to flee underground shopping malls and seek higher ground.
In neighbouring Oman, a child’s body was recovered earlier on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 18 with two people missing, emergency authorities told the official Oman News Agency today.
Nine schoolchildren and three adults died when their vehicles were swept away in flash floods, the news agency reported on Sunday.
Unstable weather conditions are expected to continue in the region through to Wednesday, UAE’s National Center of Meteorology said.
YouTuber and entrepreneur Jordan showed the extent of flooding in Dubai, UAE, today
One caught in the floods said their Rolls Royce had stalled after getting trapped in the deluge
Planes are caught in intense flooding at Dubai International Airport today
The sky turned black in Dubai today as storms continued to buffet the region
An SUV stalls out while trying to pass through standing water in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Vehicles struggle to wade through the flooding in Dubai on Tuesday
Waves begin to crash in the road as cars are brought to a standstill in Dubai
Patio furniture appears to fall from a highrise balcony amid storm conditions in Dubai
People walk during torrential rain in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai on April 16, 2024
A Dodge Challenger and a Tesla become stuck in high waters in Dubai, UAE, April 16
Cars drive through a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 16, 2024
A view of the street after heavy rainfall as adverse weather conditions affect daily life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 15, 2024
A clip shared on Twitter/X showed an entrepreneur trapped in his Rolls Royce in Dubai as deep water flooded the road.
‘My Rolls Royce got flooded and we’re stuck in the middle of the road in Dubai,’ he wrote.
‘Just like all my friends in crypto… today I am underwater,’ he posted in a follow-up.
Underground, video showed water crashing through the ceiling of a Flying Tiger as shops began to flood and infrastructure buckle under the pressure.
Products were blasted out across the shop floor as water poured from the ceiling, bystanders helpless to act.
Above the city, Dubai’s skies – usually electric blue and cloudless – darkened to night-like conditions in mid-afternoon as a second storm front blew in.
Lightning flashed across the sky earlier today, occasionally touching the tip of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
And patio furniture was seen falling from highrise buildings as strong winds rocked the city through Tuesday.
Authorities sent tanker trucks out into the streets to pump away the water. but some inland areas of the desert country recorded more than 80 millimetres (3.2 inches) of rain, approaching the annual average of about 100 mm.
Rain is not common in UAE, but occurs periodically during the cooler winter months. Many roads and other areas lacks drainage for managing floods.
The weather board ‘urged residents to take all the precautions… and to stay away from areas of flooding and water accumulation’ in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
A total of 17 inbound and outbound flights were cancelled during the morning and three were diverted, Dubai Airports said in a statement.
Operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) were later suspended for 25 minutes on Tuesday due to an intense storm, the airport said in a statement this afternoon.
The airport later confirmed intentions to continue operating departures as normal.
Government officials were recommended in parts of the sultanate, while some residents were told to shelter if they felt in danger or were asked by authorities to do so.
Police and the military were sent out to help evacuate citizens in the hardest-hit province of Ash Sharqiyah North, state media reported.
Bahrain was also hit by heavy rain and flooding after being pummelled by thunder and lightning overnight.
Water pours from the roof of a Flying Tiger in a shopping mall amid the brutal storm
Indoor spaces, not prepared for the flooding, were also seen soaked through with water
A person rides a motorcycle near a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 16
A view of the street after heavy rainfall as adverse weather conditions affect daily life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 15, 2024
Cars drive through a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, April 16, 2024
Cars are parked at a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 16
A bus stands abandoned in pouring rain as the sky turned green as a storm hit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, April 16
The country’s Interior Ministry issued public safety warnings late Monday amid thunder, lightning and high winds.
In Kuwait, the Meteorological Department warned of impending thunderstorms and advised the public to remain vigilant.
Saudi Arabia’s equivalent centre warned that significant rainfall and thunderstorms were to be expected until Wednesday.
Wind and hail are expected in Al Qassim, Riyadh and Al Sharqiya, where temperatures can push past 40C in summer.
The storms descended on the UAE, Bahrain and areas of Qatar after passing over Oman, where they caused deadly floods and left dozens stranded.
