 "Dubai Submerged In Flood")
On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates experienced strong thunderstorms that resulted in the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the country in just a few hours. As a result, some parts of the country's main highways and Dubai's international airport were flooded. According to the state-run news agency WAM, this unprecedented weather event surpassed any other documented since data collection began in 1949, before the discovery of crude oil when the region was still part of the Trucial States, a British protectorate.
On the Arabian Peninsula, rain is uncommon, however, meteorological data gathered at Dubai International Airport reveals that approximately 20mm (0.79 inches) of rain fell on Dubai's roads and beaches during the late hours of Monday. The data also stated that Tuesday began with storms that got stronger at 9 a.m. (05:00 GMT) and persisted all day, pouring additional rain and hail on the already overburdened metropolis.
By the end of Tuesday, more than 142mm (5.59 inches) had soaked Dubai. An average year sees 94.7mm (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel and a hub for the long-haul carrier Emirates.
Police and emergency responders cautiously navigated Dubai's flooded streets, their emergency lights beaming on the pitch-black roadways. The world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, was occasionally touched by lightning as it streaked across the sky. There were also interruptions and flooding on the city's driverless Metro network.
In addition to the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman have also had rainfall. Sadly, heavy rains in Oman have resulted in the loss of at least 18 lives over the past few days. Among the victims were 10 schoolchildren who were carried away in a vehicle with an adult.
