Flights to Dubai Diverted Amid Rare Flooding and Storms

Amid unusually heavy storms, Dubai International Airport (DXB) was temporarily diverting arriving flights on Tuesday evening until weather conditions improved, while departures continued to operate.

Operations at DXB were altogether suspended for 25 minutes because of the storm, which brought rare flooding to the desert region including flooding the airport’s tarmac.

It wasn’t just the airport in Dubai that was impacted by the unusually heavy downfall. In the United Arab Emirates schools were closed amid the rains and in Oman, at least 18 people have died in recent days as a result of the severe weather, NBC reported.

The rains flooded roadways and caused dangerous conditions far and wide in what is normally one of the driest parts of the world.

As for the airport in the popular tourist destination of Dubai, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned news, Al Arabiya, recorded video of airplanes having to skim through floodwaters. Meanwhile, support vehicles at the airport were temporarily submerged amid the severe storm.

The Associated Press reported that more than 4.7 inches of rain had fallen in just one day. The excessive amounts of rain also resulted in water entering homes and businesses.

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