Dozens of flights were cancelled and delayed across airports in the UAE on Friday as thunderstorms lashed the desert nation. Roads were left inundated, evoking memories of April 2024, when record rains caused widespread flooding and forced the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights at Dubai's major international air hub.
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The National Centre of Meteorology reported widespread rainfall, with Saqr Port recording the highest amount at 98 millimetres, The Gulf News reported. The weatherman has also predicted rain over the weekend with wind gusts, reaching a speed of 50km per hour. Rough sea conditions are also expected over the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea.
According to AFP, Dubai's Emirates airline cancelled 13 flights on Friday and there were also delays and cancellations at neighbouring Sharjah's airport after the overnight rains and thunderstorms. "Some flights... are cancelled or delayed due to adverse weather," a Dubai Airports spokesperson was quoted as saying.
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{{/usCountry}}Neighbourhoods were left inundated on Friday on account of heavy rains since Thursday, compelling many private offices to direct employees to work from home.
Dubai Police had earlier on Thursday asked residents to exercise caution and to stay indoors unless "absolutely necessary" in view of the approaching rainstorm, AFP reported. On Friday, water-pumping trucks were seen around Dubai clearing blocked roads and large puddles in the streets. The Dubai Airports website showed dozens of flights had been delayed on Friday, and some cancelled.
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Other Gulf states also experienced heavy rain, including Qatar where the Arab Cup football's third-place play-off between Saudi Arabia and UAE was cancelled on Thursday.
Last year's downpours in the UAE, the heaviest since records began 76 years ago, killed at least four people and brought Dubai to a standstill for days.
A study published by the World Weather Attribution group found that global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions "most likely" exacerbated the intense rains that lashed the UAE and Oman last.