UAE rain: Flights cancelled, roads flooded as rare storm soaks Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:19:00 +0000

Floods waters engulf part of the main throughfare following heavy rains, in Sharjah on December 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AFP

UAE airport authorities cancelled or delayed dozens of flights and roads were flooded in major cities as the heaviest rainstorm in months lashed the desert nation on Friday (December 19, 2025).

Dubai’s Emirates airline axed 13 flights on Friday (December 19, 2025) and there were also delays and cancellations at neighbouring Sharjah’s airport after the overnight downpour, which woke residents with lightning flashes and loud cracks of thunder.

Sharjah’s main street was completely flooded early on Friday (December 19, 2025), with residents seen wading through it in bare feet. One man rode his bicycle through the water, which reached the top of its wheels.

The scenes evoked memories of April 2024, when record rains caused widespread flooding and forced the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights at Dubai’s major international air hub.

On Thursday (December 18, 2025), Dubai police had urged residents to stay in unless “absolutely necessary” as the rainstorm approached.

Early on Friday (December 19, 2025), water-pumping trucks were seen around Dubai clearing blocked roads and large puddles in the streets.

The Dubai Airports website showed dozens of flights had been delayed on Friday, and some cancelled.

“Some flights… are cancelled or delayed due to adverse weather,” a Dubai Airports spokesperson said.

The National Center of Meteorology had warned of rainfall across the country from Thursday to Friday, including in Dubai and the capital Abu Dhabi.

Other Gulf states also experienced heavy rain, including Qatar where the Arab Cup football’s third-place play-off between Saudi Arabia and UAE was cancelled on Thursday.

Last year’s downpours in the UAE, the heaviest since records began 76 years ago, killed at least four people and brought Dubai to a standstill for days.

A study published by the World Weather Attribution group found that global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions “most likely” exacerbated the intense rains that lashed the UAE and Oman last year.

Published – December 19, 2025 03:49 pm IST

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Indian mission in Dubai launches helpline numbers for Indians affected due to extreme rain in UAE

admin — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 13:19:03 +0000

Vehicles drive through standing floodwater caused by heavy rain on an onramp to Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel.
| Photo Credit: AP

India’s consulate here has launched helpline numbers for Indians and stranded passengers affected by unprecedented heavy rains pounded the city and the northern Emirate of the UAE.

Heavy rains swept through the United Arab Emirates and surrounding countries on Tuesday, affecting normal life. The tarmac of the busy Dubai International Airport was left submerged, leading to the cancellation of flights.

In a post on X, India’s consulate mentioned the helpline numbers through which the Indian community can seek help for their issues following extreme weather conditions.

According to the consulate, +971501205172, +971569950590, +971507347676, and +971585754213 were available for weather-related emergencies.

The Consulate also said it is in touch with UAE authorities and the airlines to facilitate stranded passengers.

“Regular updates from airlines are being conveyed to travellers, and relief measures have been extended in association with Indian community organisations,” the Indian Consulate said.

“We have facilitated connection between stranded passengers and their families in India. Helpline numbers will continue until normalcy returns. We remain committed to serving the Indian community living in or travelling to Dubai and the Northern Emirates,” the mission said.

Authorities struggled on Thursday to recover from the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, as its main airport worked to restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and roads.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimetres (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimetres (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport. Other areas of the country saw even more precipitation.

The UAE’s drainage systems quickly became overwhelmed, flooding neighbourhoods, business districts and even portions of the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road highway running through Dubai.

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uae flood – Artifex.News

UAE rain: Flights cancelled, roads flooded as rare storm soaks Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar

Indian mission in Dubai launches helpline numbers for Indians affected due to extreme rain in UAE