Chaos in the desert city – cars under water

Updated 10.06 | Published 2024-04-17 00.04

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Massive flooding has hit the otherwise dry city of Dubai.

In twelve hours, as much rain fell as it usually does in a whole year, reports CNN.

The rain began to fall on Monday evening and during Tuesday evening 142 millimeters had fallen – the same amount that normally falls in a year and a half, writes The Guardian.

According to the desert country’s government, this is the heaviest rain in 75 years and they call it an “exceptional climate event”.

Houses and roads in the desert city have been flooded and pictures show cars abandoned in the water masses. Authorities sent tankers to pump the water away. There are few drains from roads and some areas are missing because the country normally receives very little rain.

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full screen Abandoned cars in Dubai. Photo: Jon Gambrell/AP

Flights arriving at the city’s huge international airport have had to be diverted to other locations. Pictures show how the asphalt on the runways has started to look more like a lake.

In the subway, the water was ankle-high and the large shopping palaces Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates were also affected by the floods.

There may be heavy showers also during Wednesday before the dry weather returns.

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full screen An abandoned bus in the storm. Photo: Jon Gambrell/AP

Bahrain and Oman have also been affected by severe flooding. In Oman, 18 people are reported dead, including ten school children who were swept away in a vehicle, writes Sky News.

Both Oman and the United Arab Emirates, which hosted COP28 last year, have previously warned that global warming could lead to more flooding.

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full screen Major floods have hit Dubai. Photo: Jon Gambrell/AP