Dubai Airport Limits Flights After Record Storm
Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest, is limiting arriving flights for 48 hours starting Friday noon local time (0800 GMT) due to a backlog caused by a record storm that swept the United Arab Emirates three days ago.
The storm, which hit neighboring Oman on Sunday and pounded the UAE on Tuesday, was the heaviest rainfall the country has seen in 75 years. It brought much of the country to a standstill for two days and caused significant damage.
Thousands of passengers have been affected by flight cancellations this week, Dubai Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths told local radio station Dubai Eye on Friday. The storm flooded taxiways, causing major disruptions.
Dubai flagship carrier Emirates, one of the world's biggest international airlines, earlier said check-in was suspended for all customers with onward connections through the city until 2359 GMT on Friday. Those travelling to Dubai as their final destination may check-in and travel as usual.
In neighboring Abu Dhabi, which was also hit by the downpour on Tuesday, state carrier Etihad said flight operations are back to normal.
The main road that connects the UAE's most populous emirate Dubai with Abu Dhabi remains partially closed, while an alternative route into Dubai requires vehicles to use a road that is entirely covered in floodwater. Cars and buses have been abandoned on this route.
In the UAE's north, including in the emirate of Sharjah, people were reportedly still trapped in their homes, while others there said there had been extensive damage to businesses.
Rains are rare in the UAE and elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula, which is typically known for its dry desert climate where summer air temperatures can soar above 50 degrees Celsius.
The UAE's National Center of Meteorology said on social media platform X that Monday may see light rainfall by late night and forecast "a chance of light to moderate rainfall, might be heavy at times over some areas" for Tuesday, with a fall in temperatures over some coastal areas.