Dubai: After severe flooding in April, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed heavy rain and thunderstorms early Thursday, affecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai, media reports said.
As a result, several flights were cancelled, and bus services in Dubai were suspended.
According to Khaleej Times, five inbound flights to Dubai were diverted overnight, and nine arrivals along with four outbound flights were cancelled.
Several flights operated by Emirates were also cancelled.
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Emaar South in Dubai battles severe storm.
?: @neeraj_murali #emaarsouth #Dubai #storm #thunderstorm?? #heavyrains #uae #KhaleejTimes pic.twitter.com/TQYEwi2E47
Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 16, 2024
According to local media reports, Dubai residents were awakened by strong winds, thunder, and lightning around 3 am on Thursday.
Almost an hour later, at approximately 4 am, the countrys meteorological department issued an amber alert, signalling that rain-bearing clouds had enveloped most regions of the country. Adverse weather conditions were forecast to continue until May 3.
The advisory also urged residents to follow safety protocols during rainy weather.
According to local media reports, waterlogging was observed on the streets in certain areas of Abu Dhabi, while strong winds were experienced in Jebel Ali, Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai Industrial City, Dubai Investments Park, and Jumeirah Village Triangle.
In a statement on X, IndiGo said that flight operations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah were affected by adverse weather conditions.
6ETravelAdvisory: Due to adverse weather conditions in #Dubai Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, our flight operations are impacted. Please keep a track of your flight status at http://bit.ly/2EjJGGT before leaving for the airport, the airline tweeted.
#6ETravelAdvisory: Due to bad weather in #Dubai #Sharjah #RasAlKhaimah #AbuDhabi, our flight operations are impacted. Road blockages may disrupt local transport. Plan accordingly and allow extra time for airport travel. Check flight status at https://t.co/F83aKzsIHg
IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) May 2, 2024
In April, a massive storm struck Dubai, leaving three people dead and disrupting normal life.
The UAE has been grappling to deal with massive rainfall and thunderstorm as it typically receives little rainfall.
The weather forcasters have warned massive storm for days.
Dubai International Airport faced challenges in resuming normal operations as taxiways were flooded, leading to flight diversions, delays, and cancellations.
The inundation has left roads between Dubai and Abu Dhabi partially submerged as of Saturday.
In Abu Dhabi, shortages of products were reported in some supermarkets and restaurants said this was due to the delayed deliveries from Dubai, according to news agency Reuters.
Researchers have associated extreme weather events like Tuesdays storm with climate change, forecasting that global warming will result in elevated temperatures, increased humidity, and an elevated risk of flooding in Gulf region areas.
The lack of drainage infrastructure in countries such as the UAE worsens their vulnerability to flooding during heavy rains.
