Dubai airport flooding: Heavy rains force flights to get cancelled, delayed

Heavy rains lashed Dubai on Saturday, causing ponds to develop in several parts of the city and resulting in a lot of flights getting cancelled or delayed, reported international media. 

A UAE government official spoke to The National to say that Dubai International Airport (DXB) was "experiencing operational disruptions" due to the bad weather. 

"Flight delays are expected to continue throughout the day with some cancellations and diversions to Dubai World Central," he said, adding that the government was trying its best with service partners to ensure full operations were resumed. 

As several commuters remained stranded on the airports, the government advised citizens to use the metro in Dubai to avoid traffic snarls. 

"Unusually heavy rain has hit Dubai, with rainfall reaching 150 mm/hour for 2.5 hours, according to preliminary reports, resulting in water ponds in some areas of the emirate and traffic diversions," tweeted the Dubai Media Office. 

Service and vehicle inspection centres, and driving institutes were shut in the city owing to the heavy rains. The National Centre of Meteorology warned citizens to be extremely vigilant and said rains could continue in the city for the next two days.