- By Abhishek Sheoran
- Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:52 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
UAE’s Dubai is reeling under an intense flash flood that has submerged the runway at the international airport and left the houses inundated. The roads across the city were turned into water bodies. The operations of the flights were also stopped for nearly half an hour owing to the intense rainfall and waterlogging at the airport. The airport, now ranked as the world's second busiest, resembled a river with the spray from the planes creating ripples in the deep water.
On Tuesday, the airport experienced nearly 100 mm of rainfall within a 12-hour period, totalling 160 mm within 24 hours. On average, Dubai City receives around 88.9 mm of rainfall annually.
“The airport is working hard with its response teams and service partners to restore normal operations and minimise inconvenience to our customers. We urge guests to check directly with the airline to obtain the latest information on the status of their flight, allow significant extra travel time to the airport and use the Dubai metro where possible,” Dubai Airports was quoted as saying.
They spent 1 week making artificial rain. Think about the damage now. This morning, heavy rain caused flooding at Dubai Airport. Due to the critical situation, several flights were diverted or canceled. Local media estimated that rainfall reached a level above 100 mm. pic.twitter.com/2aRyxkvqwi
— KASSANDRA MARIE (@kassandramarr) April 17, 2024
The weather department took to social media platform X to apprise commuters about areas under yellow, orange and red alerts.
Flagship shopping centres like Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates experienced flooding, with water reaching ankle-deep levels in at least one Dubai Metro station, as depicted in images shared on social media. Individuals utilized social platforms to provide updates on the aftermath of the rain. Several videos depicted cars being swept off roads, while another captured the collapse of a shop's ceiling due to water inundation at one of Dubai's most frequented malls. The city's metro system faced disruptions.
Habibi ….this is Dubai
— Amitabh Chaudhary (@MithilaWaala) April 17, 2024
Malls , airports , roads , residential colonies , all flooded in just one rain in Dubai …
Indians must see this and stop mocking and trolling their own cities which at least get waterlogged in heavy rains in monsoon and has cities much densely… pic.twitter.com/V5L9w34Bzq
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The Dubai Airport website displayed numerous flight delays and cancellations on April 16, impacting various destinations such as India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK.