Flights cancelled as Dubai smashed by heavy rain two weeks after deadly floods

Flights have been cancelled and luxury cars are floating in the streets again in Dubai just two weeks after the deadly floods.

Heavy rains have returned to Dubai just two weeks after record downpours and floods that left at least four people in the country dead and caused air travel chaos with the cancellation of thousands of flights.

More flights were cancelled and delayed at the world’s second busiest air hub on Thursday, local time, due to bad weather, with schools and offices also shutting.

At least 13 flights were cancelled and five diverted at Dubai International Airport, which is often a stopover for Aussies flying to Europe and the Middle East.

Dubai-based airline Emirates cancelled at least nine flights and promised all rebooking charges for customers affected would be waived. Travellers were also warned to expect delays.

The airport confirmed it was able to return to normal operations on Thursday afternoon, local time, after “disruptions caused by unsettled weather”.

“All terminals are now operating smoothly,” it said.

A car drives along a flooded street in Dubai on May 2, 2024, as heavy rains returned to the United Arab Emirates just two weeks after record downpours. Picture: Giuseppe Cacace / AFP

On Thursday, little traffic was seen on Dubai’s normally heaving, six-lane highways, and cars were abandoned on flooded roads near the sprawling Ibn Battuta mall.

Trucks pumping water were stationed in several flooded areas, as Dubai’s drainage is often unable to cope with large-scale rainfall.

Schools switched to remote learning and public-sector offices closed.

Another car is seen stranded on a flooded street in Dubai on May 2. Picture: Giuseppe Cacace / AFP

A lightning storm with high winds had swept across the UAE, with more than 50mm of rain falling before 8am in some areas, the National Center of Meteorology said.

CNN reported residents in Dubai appeared better prepared this time with workmen spotted opening drains on the streets a day ahead of the rainfall and emergency notifications were sent to people’s phones.

More than 50mm of rain fell before 8am in some areas of the country on Thursday. Picture: Giuseppe Cacace / AFP

Thursday’s travel disruptions were still far from the level of chaos that unfolded last month.

Stranded passengers at Dubai’s airports had complained they were “running out of food”.

Restaurants and take away outlets that would normally be open struggled to keep shelves stocked, get supplies in or staff the retail units.

A couple returning to the UK from a wedding in Sydney, who were diverted to another Dubai airport, told the BBC they didn’t know how to get home or when they would eat properly again.

@lovindubai All beaches, parks and outdoor markets are closed today as announced by Dubai Municipality ⚠️ Stay safe and stay indoors! vid via @desertkiwikiwi #lovindubai ♬ original sound - Lovin Dubai

“The restaurants are closed,” James Devine, 30, from Cambridge in England’s east, said.

“The only food we have is from duty free so it’s like they haven’t provided any food for infants or young children.

“There’s no nappies, so we’re like handing-off nappies to people.”

Anne Wing, from Yorkshire in England’s north, said her family hadn’t eaten for hours and only small cartons of water were being handed out.

Another couple said they were “desperate for food” and in 13 hours had only had a coffee.

Dubai on April 18, after the heaviest rains on record. Pictures: Giuseppe Cacace / AFP

Emirates president Sir Tim Clark described the record-breaking weather in April as “one of the toughest” weeks for the airline operationally, in an open letter to customers on April 20 when regular flight schedules were restored.

He said they had diverted dozens of flights on April 16 as the United Arab Emirates experienced its highest rainfall in 75 years, but over the three days that followed, Emirates had to cancel nearly 400 flights and delay many more.

Flights weren’t just cancelled for safety but flooded roads meant pilots, cabin crew and airport staff struggled to reach the airport, and there were supply shortages of things like meals.

“We know our response has been far from perfect,” Sir Tim wrote. “We acknowledge and understand the frustration of our customers due to the congestion, lack of information, and confusion in the terminals. We acknowledge that the long queues and wait times have been unacceptable.

“We take our commitment to our customers very seriously, and we have taken learnings from the last few days to make things right and improve our processes.”

– with AFP