UAE experiences strongest rainfall in 75 years: Dubai receives a year's worth of rain in a single day, turning the sky green instantly.
On April 16th local time, multiple areas in the UAE were hit by rare heavy rain. This rainfall event is recorded as the strongest in a single day since meteorological records began in 1949. As of now, the highest rainfall occurred in the city of Al Ain, with precipitation reaching 254 millimeters within a 24-hour period.
On the same day, a rare phenomenon of the sky turning "green in a second" was observed in Dubai. According to Xinhua News Agency, the thunderstorm and rain started late on the night of the 15th local time and intensified around 9 a.m. on the 16th, lasting throughout the day. Dubai received over 142 millimeters of rainfall within 24 hours, which is equivalent to the average annual rainfall for one and a half to two years in that region.
The heavy rainfall in the UAE has caused road collapses and submerged parts of major highways, with some vehicles completely submerged by the floods. According to Xinhua News Agency, local shopping centers, residential areas, and metro stations have been flooded, and many residents have reported water leaking into their homes through roofs and windows.
The heavy rain is expected to continue until the 17th. Schools across the UAE have been closed and are expected to remain closed on the 17th as well. The Dubai government has extended the remote work period for employees until the 17th.
Due to the impact of heavy rainfall, the tarmac of Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, was flooded, causing planes to taxi through water and resulting in a 25-minute suspension of airport operations. Starting from 19:26 on the 16th, aircraft landings were temporarily halted at the airport, and it was announced that operations would be gradually restored over two hours later. While outbound flights continued to operate, many flights were canceled or delayed.