Dubai Airport has been adversely affected by the torrential rains. Flights are being constantly delayed in one of the busiest airports in the world
Dubai is battling record floods that were the aftermath of massive torrential rains that hit the desert area this week. Usually, the country receives less than 100mm (3.9in) a year of rainfall on average. But on Tuesday, UAE received up to 259.5mm (10.2in) of rain. This is the most rain the country received in 75 years. The news agency called the rains a “historic weather event” that exceeded “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949”.
“It was one of the most horrific situations I had ever experienced,” recounted a Dubai resident. A low-pressure weather system drew in moist, warm air and blocked the other weather system from coming through was the reason behind the downpours. Prof Maarten Ambaum, a meteorologist at the University of Reading who has studied rainfall patterns in the Gulf region mentions that the region is characterised by long periods without rains and then heavy or irregular rains. “But even so, this was a very rare rainfall event,” he said.
Delayed Flights
Dubai Airport has been adversely affected by the torrential rains. Flights are being constantly delayed in one of the busiest airports in the world, increasing the frustration of the passengers.
A total of 1,244 flights were cancelled, and 41 were diverted at Dubai International until Thursday morning due to runway flooding.
Other travelers were reportedly sent to Dubai World Central Airport, commonly referred to as Al Maktoum Airport, according to the BBC. There, they informed the network that they had been “living duty free” and that there wasn’t enough water.
The primary airline serving Dubai, Emirates, wrote on X on Wednesday night, informing users to “expect delays with departures and arrivals.” Additionally, although some passengers had reached their destinations, “we are aware that many are still waiting to get on flights.”
The airline apologized for any inconvenience caused and said that it would cease operations until Thursday morning in addition to canceling all check-ins. There were also delays for passengers on FlyDubai, Emirates‘ budget airline.
Early on Thursday, the Dubai airport said on X that flights have started again from Terminal 1, but they still advised travelers to visit the airport only if they had a confirmed reservation because flights were still “delayed and disrupted.”
The CEO of the airport, Paul Griffiths, confirmed the flooding concerns on Wednesday. “It remains an incredibly challenging time. In living memory, I don’t think anyone has ever seen conditions like it,” Griffiths said to the media. Authorities in Dubai said that schools will remain closed until next week, highlighting the challenge of the cleanup.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Nayan instructed: “authorities to quickly work on studying the condition of infrastructure throughout the UAE and to limit the damage caused”, according to official media reports. The president also issued orders for the relocation of impacted families to secure areas.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, wrote on X about “efforts being made by teams of citizens and residents that continue day and night” while the media office of the city uploaded footage of officials meeting in groups and what appeared to be background water pumping. Other Gulf states like Sharjah also had similar issues where residents had to use makeshift boats to move through the streets.
In the floods, at least one person lost their life. In Ras Al-Khaimah, one of the seven emirates of the country, a 70-year-old man was washed away in his automobile, according to authorities. The UAE government declared that due to the impact, remote work for the majority of federal government employees has been extended by one more day.