Watch: Cars floating, airport and malls flooded in Dubai as UAE receives highest rain in 75 years

Watch: Cars floating, airport and malls flooded in Dubai as UAE receives highest rain in 75 years

Jets floating like boats, cars submerged, malls flooded — this was Dubai after heavy rains and thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates inundating homes and businesses.

The rains started on Monday, turning roads into rivers and submerging cars and houses. Videos also emerged from the airport showing jets floating around. The National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the “Khatm Al Shakla” area in Al Ain, The Khaleej Times reported. It added that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.

The rains came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Several parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which trapped students in buses, swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.

On social media platform X, Dubai International Airport said that the flooding had left “limited transportation options” and affected flights. “Recovery will take some time,” the airport said on the social platform X. “We thank you for your patience and understanding while we work through these challenges.”

Video from various social media accounts showed water rushing through a major shopping mall and inundating the ground floor of homes. A video, reportedly shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Clips from several outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain too showed similar scenes, rendering escalators unusable, reported local media.

Tanker trucks were sent by the authorities to pump out water from the street. Government employees were asked to work remotely. The National Centre for Meteorology asked residents to stay away from flooded areas and take necessary precautions, in a post on X.

In neighbouring Oman, at least 18 people had been killed because of heavy rains in recent days, according to a statement by the country’s National Committee for Emergency Management. This includes 10 schoolchildren being swept away in a vehicle.

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