Heavy floods hit Dubai, airport as Oman toll rises to 18

Torrential rain floods Dubai, halts airport operations, causes widespread flooding in UAE, Bahrain, and Oman, leading to fatalities.

Torrential rain flooded roads, homes and malls and briefly halted operations at Dubai’s airport as storms lashed the Gulf on Tuesday, after leaving at least 18 dead in Oman. The airport began diverting all incoming flights.

Dubai, the Middle East’s financial centre, was paralysed by the heavy storms that caused widespread flooding around the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Flagship shopping centres Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding and water was ankle-deep at at least one Dubai Metro station.

Roads and residential communities also suffered heavy flooding in scenes repeated around the oil-rich Emirates, a desert country where rain is an unusual event. Schools were shut across the UAE and were expected to remain closed on Wednesday, when further storms, including hail, are forecast.

The world’s busiest air hub for international passengers, which had been expecting more than 100 flights on Tuesday evening, earlier briefly halted its operations in the chaos caused by the storm.

“Due to the continued exceptional weather event currently being experienced in the UAE, Dubai International is temporarily diverting inbound flights due to arrive this evening... until the inclement situation improves,” a Dubai Airports spokesperson said.

Departures will continue, said the spokesperson, who earlier warned that roads around the airport have suffered major flooding and urged passengers to use public transport.

Airport operations were earlier suspended for 25 minutes before resuming. Unconfirmed images on social media showed planes taxiing across an apron flooded with standing water.