'Apocalyptic' flooding in Dubai after 18 months' rainfall in just hours and nine children die when bus is washed away

Major flooding in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has affected major roads and the country's international airport. Heavy thunderstorms dumped more than a year and a half's worth of rain in a matter of hours on the city and emirate of Dubai.

This is the heaviest rainfall that has hit UAE in 75 years. Rain has also fallen in the neighbouring countries of Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia - with at least 18 people having died as a result in Oman, according to its National Committee for Emergency Management.

Police in UAE confirmed that at least one person had died after a 70-year-old man was swept away in his car in one of the country's seven emirates, Ras al-Khaimah. In Dubai, the downpour began on Monday evening, April 15, drenching the region with approximately 0.79 inches of rain according to meteorological data which had been collected at Dubai International Airport. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter

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On Tuesday morning, April 16, the storms continued throughout the day and saw over 5.59 inches of rainfall within a 24-hour period. As a result, Dubai International Airport - one of the busiest in the world, had to halt arrivals on Tuesday evening, while standing water affected taxiways and passengers struggled to reach terminals due to floodwater covering surrounding roads.

The city's Metro has also experienced disruptions and flooded stations, while emergency services have been slowly navigating its flooded streets. Most schools across the UAE were shut ahead of the storm, while many workers worked remotely or stayed at home. Get the best user experience with WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android

Water has poured into some people's homes, forcing people to leave their properties. Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles stalled in deep floodwater covering some roads. Authorities in UAE have sent tanker trucks out onto the streets and highways to pump away the water.

On Wednesday morning, Dubai's International Airport (DXB) urged passengers not to come to the airport. On X, they wrote: "We advise you NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary.

"Flights continue to be delayed and diverted. Please check your flight status directly with your airline. We are working hard to recover operations as quickly as possible in very challenging conditions."

Many have taken to social media to share videos and photos of the flooding. On X, a video shared by social media user Ivano Panetti shows the extent of the heavy rain affecting the airport, roads and shopping centre in Dubai. He wrote: "Exceptional weather with a storm dropping more rain than it receives in a whole year. Hundreds of buildings and thousands of cars are underwater, flooding streets and airport."

Another X user, DW Samachar, also shared some videos on the social media platform. They wrote: "Dubai experiences flooding due to heavy rains, leading to airport waterlogging and flight diversions". Another X user pointed out that due the heavy rains and thunderstorms causing flooding in Dubai, cars were getting stuck on the highways.

According to Al Jazeera, in the neighbouring country of Oman, the death toll announced on Tuesday, April 16, included at least nine schoolchildren and their driver, whose vehicle was washed away by floodwaters in Samad A'Shan. The National Committee for Emergency Management said that rescue teams were sent to search for two missing people.