Heavy thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, dumping over a year and a half’s worth of rain on the desert city-State of Dubai in the span of hours as it flooded out portions of major highways and its international airport.
Meanwhile, the death toll in separate heavy flooding in neighbouring Oman rose to 18 with others still missing as the sultanate prepared for the storm.
The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20 millimetres (0.79 inches) of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport.
The storms intensified around 9 am local Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail onto the overwhelmed city.
