Thirteen flights were canceled by Dubai's Emirates airline on Friday, and the airport in nearby Sharjah also saw delays and cancellations.
Thunderstorms battered the desert nation on Friday, causing dozens of flights to be canceled or delayed at several UAE airports. The flooded roads brought back memories of April 2024, when massive rains forced the cancellation of almost 2,000 flights at Dubai's main international air hub and resulted in severe flooding.
According to The Gulf News, the National Centre of Meteorology reported extensive rainfall, with Saqr Port registering the most at 98 millimeters. Additionally, the meteorologist has forecast rain and wind gusts of up to 50 km/h for the weekend. Additionally, rough seas are predicted across the Oman Sea and Arabian Gulf.
Thirteen flights were canceled by Dubai's Emirates airline on Friday, according to AFP. The airport in nearby Sharjah also had delays and cancellations due to the overnight rains and thunderstorms. "Some flights... are cancelled or delayed due to adverse weather," according to a representative for Dubai Airports.
Due to the severe rains that have been falling since Thursday, many private offices were forced to order their staff to work from home on Friday.
According to AFP, Dubai Police had earlier on Thursday advised locals to be cautious and to stay inside unless "absolutely necessary" due to the impending downpour. Large puddles in the streets and obstructed roadways were being cleared by water-pumping vehicles on Friday. Numerous flights were canceled and delayed on Friday, according to the Dubai Airports website.
Heavy rain also fell on other Gulf states, such as Qatar, where the third-place play-off between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the Arab Cup football competition was canceled on Thursday.
At least four people were killed by last year's rainstorms in the United Arab Emirates, which were the worst since records started 76 years ago. They also caused days of inactivity in Dubai.
According to a research released by the World Weather Attribution group, the recent heavy rains that battered Oman and the United Arab Emirates were "most likely" made worse by global warming brought on by fossil fuel emissions.
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