18 Apr UAE flash floods bring safety concerns to residents
The United Arab Emirates experienced heavy rainfall on Tuesday, causing flooding on major roads and leaving numerous abandoned vehicles in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Oman is still dealing with heavy flooding that has resulted in a death toll of 18 and several people missing. The rains started overnight and disrupted flights at Dubai International Airport, which is the busiest airport for international travel and the home base of Emirates Airlines.
Lightning was visible in the sky, and occasionally touched the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
To keep residents safe, most schools in the UAE closed in anticipation of the storm, and government employees worked from home.
To deal with the flooding, authorities sent tanker trucks to pump water out of the streets and though rain is unusual in the UAE, it occurs sporadically during the cooler winter months and often causes flooding due to the lack of drainage in many areas.
Initial estimates suggest that more than 30mm of rain fell in Dubai during the morning, with up to 128mm expected throughout the day. Rain also fell in Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, in Oman, the National Committee for Emergency Management reported that at least 18 people had been killed in heavy rains, including 10 schoolchildren who were swept away with an adult in a vehicle.