Record rainfall causes airport chaos and other disruptions | Wilnesh News

The United Arab Emirates continues to be plagued by flooding caused by the desert country’s heaviest rainfall ever, with airlines, banks and urban transport facing severe disruptions and service disruptions.

In just 12 hours, the normally arid Gulf state was hit with about a year’s worth of rain. In many homes and businesses in Dubai and other emirates, running water and electricity have stopped working.

“The shower doesn’t work.” “The toilet doesn’t flush.” “Nothing comes out of the tap.” These and other similar messages flooded Dubai’s Whatsapp groups on Wednesday and Thursday, with many residents living in villas Finding themselves trapped inside, more than a foot of water flooded the road outside their house and submerged their car.

One widely circulated message urged: “Do not walk through flooded areas and do not touch metal objects on the ground while in the water,” warning of electric shock. Still, with cars out of service and taxis avoiding flooded areas, some residents who had run out of food ventured out to buy groceries.

“Wear sneakers and shorts and bring a backpack to carry food,” advises one resident in the upscale Al Manara residential complex. Video footage from some neighborhoods shows locals using surfboards and even motorboats to get around. Local Lebanese restaurant Beiruti Flame Grill was one of many businesses in Dubai that was completely submerged, and employees were using rafts to walk around the area.

“Some of our friends have lost almost everything – their houses are waist-deep in water. It’s terrible for a lot of people,” one resident, who asked not to be named due to professional restrictions, told CNBC.

For others, the weather disaster has brought out the best in their communities.

“Honestly, our community is amazing and everyone comes together and helps each other,” Samantha Denichaud, a sports therapist who lives in Dubai, told CNBC. “I think this is a time where neighbors who would never otherwise be in contact get to know each other. It’s scary, but also weird.”

She described residents cooking and donating blankets and toiletries to security and maintenance workers who couldn’t go home.

More than 100 millimeters of rain fell in parts of the UAE from Tuesday to Wednesday, the most in the 75 years since the country began recording rainfall, according to the UAE National Meteorological Center.The government released a red warning, closing offices, schools and banks across the country.National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Bureau warn Residents are asked to stay in their homes and park their vehicles on high ground away from flood-prone areas.

Hundreds of cars abandoned On Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Highway, the driver’s engine stalled and water levels rose around him. With people working in and around some stations unable to get home, the city’s subways were turned into makeshift overnight shelters.

While water levels are falling in some areas and parts of the city are completely dry, some areas are still flooded and cannot be serviced for maintenance and repairs. Police cars blocked some roads deemed too dangerous, while water trucks worked to clear streets of standing water.

A massive cleanup is underway and will continue for some time. The UAE Ministry of Interior declared “an end to the weather fluctuation” late on Wednesday and said efforts would continue to “complete the recovery phase”. The ministry’s statement said field teams will “continue to intensify efforts to ensure full recovery and return to normal life in all affected areas”.

There was chaos at Dubai airport as frustrated travelers were told they would not be able to fly. The airport urged travelers not to travel unless absolutely necessary and suspended check-in until Thursday morning.

Getting home is also a daunting task for those who landed before arriving flights were suspended.

A British resident of Dubai who returned from holiday told CNBC: “The airport staff told everyone to take the metro for two stops and then take the bus alternative service… We got there and there was no alternative service.” “It looked like the airport just wanted to take the body away. Further afield… eventually our partner came in a pickup truck to take us home.”

A Dubai Airports spokesperson said in a statement that the airport was “working hard to resume operations as quickly as possible under these challenging circumstances” and said “access to Terminal 1 for confirmed departure passengers is currently strictly restricted due to crowding.” It Adding, “There is no rebooking facility at the terminal.”

Many people remain stranded overseas as large numbers of travelers return home after this week’s Eid holiday, which ends the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Customers complain to

“Due to heavy rain in Dubai, our contact center is experiencing a high volume of interactions and you may need to wait a long time for a reply,” a notice on Emirates’ website reads. The notice asks passengers to leave the flight if their flight is unsuitable. Do not call next time.

For Fanny Balleuil, a French resident in the UAE, being stuck in Bahrain – where she was diverted on her way back to Dubai – was actually more of a blessing in disguise. Her roommate told her her room was completely flooded; it was uninhabitable until maintenance crews pumped the water out, and maintenance crews wouldn’t be able to enter her community until Friday at the earliest.

“My flight was canceled – I was stuck in Bahrain, which is actually a lovely country,” she said. “If this hadn’t happened, I would never have come to visit!”