Dubai floods cause flight cancellations as clouds engulf Burj Khalifa

**13 scheduled Emirates flights** from **Dubai** never took off due to significant flooding that operationally impacted the emirate and the rest of the **United Arab Emirates**. Neighboring Sharjah was “disturbed” by the deafening, ominous decibels of a storm so intense it woke residents in the middle of the night, accompanied by lightning and thunder. The floods also created road problems. Emirate residents were seen traversing streets with their pants rolled up to their knees and barefoot, carrying their shoes in their hands.

Read: **United Arab Emirates: Severe weather strikes Dubai and Abu Dhabi**

These **significant floods** brought unpleasant memories from the not-so-distant past: the April 2024 rainfall marked a negative record. At that time, **Dubai airport became a zone of endless waiting**, as hopeful travelers waited in vain to board planes. 2,000 flights to and from the emirate were canceled.

Dubai: massive cleanup operation

In anticipation of Thursday, December 18’s storm, Dubai police had called on residents to stay home and not travel unless there was “absolute necessity.” On Friday, December 19, water pumping trucks were deployed throughout the city to remove water from blocked roads. The Dubai Municipality stated that 2,280 road workers and supervisors and 392 technicians were present on site, assessing the situation and clearing the waters. It also reported that 55 call center staff members were working to handle calls and reports. Thus, the previous day’s chaos seemed like a lie. Some roads have already been cleared of water, reported khaleejtimes.com. The evidence appears to be in the photograph below.

On the Dubai Airports website, dozens of flights appeared showing delays and some cancellations, which an airport spokesperson confirmed, citing “adverse weather conditions.” The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) had predicted rainfall across the country from Thursday, December 18 to Friday, December 19, including Dubai and the capital Abu Dhabi. Other Gulf countries also faced heavy rainfall yesterday, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where floods resulted in the cancellation of an Arab Cup football match. Last year’s torrential rains in the United Arab Emirates cost the lives of at least four people and paralyzed Dubai city for days.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network had concluded that these torrential rains, unprecedented for 75 years, had “very likely” been worsened by climate change. It’s worth noting the spectacular sight of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, disappearing into the clouds.