Rare Storm in the United Arab Emirates Causes Flooding and Flight Disruptions

A rare storm in the United Arab Emirates led to heavy rainfall causing flooding in several major cities on Friday, resulting in numerous flight delays and cancellations. Emirates Airlines canceled 13 flights departing from Dubai, while disruptions were also reported in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah. The storm, characterized by loud thunder and flashes of lightning, disturbed residents throughout the night.

By early Friday, one of Sharjah's main streets was completely submerged, forcing pedestrians to walk barefoot with their pants rolled up. Nearby, a bicycle was seen partially submerged in water.

These scenes brought back memories of April 2024, when record rainfall caused major flooding and resulted in over 2,000 flight cancellations at Dubai Airport, one of the busiest in the world.

As the storm approached on Thursday, Dubai police urged residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. On Friday, water pumping trucks were deployed across the city to clear blocked roads.

The Dubai Airports website indicated that dozens of flights were delayed and a few were canceled, confirmed by an airport spokesperson citing 'adverse weather conditions.'

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) had warned of rainfall across the country from Thursday to Friday, including in Dubai and the capital, Abu Dhabi.

Other Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, also experienced heavy rainfall on Thursday, resulting in the cancellation of an Arab Cup match.

Last year’s torrential rains in the UAE caused at least four deaths and paralyzed the city of Dubai for several days. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network concluded that these unprecedented rains, which hadn't been seen in 75 years, were 'very likely' exacerbated by climate change.