Torrential rains are wreaking havoc across the United Arab Emirates, prompting flight diversions, and cancellations and have even forced schools and other educational institutions to shut down.
Dubai received a year’s worth of rain in just one day on Tuesday, which triggered flash floods throughout the city. The runway of the Dubai International Airport was also submerged, and roads were converted into rivers.
The airport received about 100 millimetres of rain in just 12 hours and a total of 160 millimetres in a day. However, Dubai receives about 88.9 millimetres of rain overall in a year.
On Wednesday morning, Dubai International Airport issued a caution advising travellers to “check your flight status… and allow significant extra travel time to the airport”.
On Tuesday, the Dubai website listed several flights that had been delayed or cancelled, including those to India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK.
Several airlines in the city have suspended their operations temporarily due to heavy rains.
“All flydubai flights scheduled for departure from Dubai this evening (16 April) have been cancelled effective immediately until 10:00 (Dubai local time) on 17 April. During this period, passengers who do not have Dubai as their final destination will not be accepted for travel,” Reuters news agency quoted an airline spokesperson as saying in the statement.
Dubai Police also issued an advisory to people to avoid specific routes in the city due to flash floods.
As per the reports, cloud seeding contributed to the torrential rains that caused severe flooding throughout the arid nation. The UAE began cloud seeding operations in 2002 to address water security concerns despite taking into consideration the lack of proper drainage systems in several areas that might cause flooding.
