Should I cancel my holiday to Dubai? As UAE is lashed by year

Dubai Airport was in chaos today after huge thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates, with more than a year and a half's worth of rain falling on the desert city.

Passengers were urged not to travel to the airport this morning - while the airline Emirates suspended check-in for all departing passengers until midnight tonight.

By the end of yesterday, more than 5.59in of rainfall over 24 hours had soaked what is the world's busiest for international travel. An average year sees 3.73in of rain.

Standing water lapped on taxiways as aircraft landed, with the airport halting arrivals last night as passengers struggled to reach terminals because of flooding.

With Dubai being a popular travel destination for Britons, MailOnline has compiled a list of answers to some of the key questions following the severe weather:

What has happened in Dubai?

More than a year and a half's worth of rain has fallen in just 24 hours in parts of the United Arab Emirates as thunderstorms flooded Dubai International Airport.

Dubai International Airport - the world's busiest for international travel and a hub for the long-haul carrier Emirates - halted arrivals last night.

Passengers have struggled to reach terminals through the floodwater covering surrounding roads - while standing water lapped on taxiways as aircraft landed.

Motorists try to drive along a flooded street following heavy rain in Dubai early this morning

How was Dubai Airport affected?

Dubai's Airport diverted scores of incoming flights yesterday. The world's busiest air hub for international passengers confirmed a halt to arrivals at 7.26pm local time (4.26pm UK) before announcing a 'gradual resumption' more than two hours later.

The airport had been expecting more than 100 flight arrivals yesterday evening, but took the unusual step of briefly halting its operations in the chaos caused by the storm. Airport operations were suspended in the afternoon before resuming.

Departure flights remained in operation during the evening but were plagued with delays and cancellations. Access roads to the airport were also badly flooded.

Passengers queue at a flight connection desk at Dubai International Airport this morning

What is the advice from Dubai Airport?

Dubai International said this morning that it was still experiencing significant disruption with flights delayed or diverted due to the heavy rain.

The airport advised passengers in Dubai not to travel there. It tweeted: 'We advise you NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary.

'Flights continue to be delayed and diverted. Please check your flight status directly with your airline. We are working hard to recover operations as quickly as possible in very challenging conditions.'

⚠️We advise you NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary.
Flights continue to be delayed and diverted. Please check your flight status directly with your airline.

We are working hard to recover operations as quickly as possible in very challenging conditions.

— DXB (@DXB) April 17, 2024

What's the latest from Emirates and British Airways?

Emirates today suspended check-in for passengers departing until midnight.

The Dubai-based carrier said passengers arriving to Dubai and already in transit would continue to be processed but warned that delays to departures and arrivals should be expected.

It said on X: 'Emirates is suspending check-in for passengers departing

@DXB from 8:00am on 17 April until midnight, due to operational challenges caused by bad weather and road conditions. Affected customers can contact their booking agent or visit https://emirat.es/support for rebooking.

'Passengers arriving in Dubai and already in transit will continue to be processed for their flights. Customers can expect delays to departures and arrivals, and are advised to check the latest flight schedules on https://emirat.es/flightstatus.

'We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. Emirates is working hard to restore our scheduled operations, and our teams will provide all possible support to affected customers. Please DM us if you require any assistance.'

British Airways has not issued an official statement on the flooding yet, but has responded on X to passengers complaining about delays, saying there is 'adverse weather at the moment' in Dubai.

Emirates is suspending check-in for passengers departing @DXB from 8:00am on 17 April until midnight, due to operational challenges caused by bad weather and road conditions. Affected customers can contact their booking agent or visit https://t.co/H1klWYurOd for rebooking. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/88P1WJHB2n

— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) April 17, 2024

Will your holiday to Dubai be affected by flooding?

Flights from airports in England to Dubai were cancelled or delayed yesterday due to the flooding – with disruption continuing into this morning.

For example, today's 9.05am Emirates departure from London Heathrow was delayed until 12.15pm; while the 9.50am service from Manchester was due to leave at 4pm.

The best advice is to check a flight with your airline before leaving accommodation, although some passengers were also reporting last-minute cancellations. 

Passengers wait for their flights at the Dubai International Airport amid the delays today

What is the Foreign Office advice on Dubai travel?

The flooding has not yet prompted any updated advice from Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office regarding travellers going to Dubai.

The Foreign Office does however warn that there is still a 'high threat of terrorist attack' and Britons should 'remain vigilant at all times' - especially following Iran's attack on Israel over the weekend.

Passengers check flight information on screens at Dubai International Airport this morning

Will you be covered if you want to cancel your trip?

This will depend on the company with whom you have booked travel insurance.

Cancellation protection for flights are normally part of standard travel insurance, and will cover costs if you can no longer travel because of something such as illness.

But if your flight is still running and you want to cancel because of the floods, this could vary between providers – and you should check with them before doing so.

If your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed, then your airline could have to offer compensation. You should be able to get a full refund or compensation if your flight to or from Dubai was departing from a UK airport or arriving at a UK airport.

A travel insurance claim could help cover other costs from your holiday such as a hire car, a connecting flight or a hotel room which has been pre-booked.

A man wades through a flooded street in Dubai following torrential rain in the UAE yesterday

How much rain has fallen in Dubai?

The heavy rain began late on Monday with 0.79in falling at Dubai Airport.

The storms intensified at around 9am yesterday and continued throughout the day. By the end of yesterday, 5.59in of rain had fallen over 24 hours.

An average year sees 3.73in of rain at the airport. Fujairah, an emirate on the UAE's eastern coast, saw the heaviest rainfall yesterday with 5.7in falling there.

The state-run WAM news agency called the rain 'a historic weather event' that surpassed 'anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.'

A car is abandoned on a flooded street following heavy rain in Dubai early this morning

Why is the flooding so bad?

Rain is unusual in the UAE - an arid, Arabian Peninsula nation - but occurs periodically during the cooler winter months.

Many roads and other areas lack drainage given the lack of regular rainfall, causing flooding - especially when storms are on such an unprecedented scale.

Climatologist Friederike Otto, a specialist in assessing the role of climate change on extreme weather events, claimed global warming had likely worsened the storms. 

Vehicles sit abandoned in severe flooding which covers a major road in Dubai this morning

Has anyone died in the flooding?

An elderly Emirati man in his 70s died yesterday morning when his vehicle was caught in flash floods in the Ras Al Khaimah emirate, in the country's north.

The death toll in separate heavy flooding in neighbouring Oman rose to 18 with others still missing as the nation prepared for the storm.

That includes 10 schoolchildren swept away in a vehicle with an adult.

A taxi drives through a flooded street following heavy rain in Dubai early this morning

How are people responding to the flooding?

One couple, who did not wish to be named, called the situation at Dubai Airport 'absolute carnage.'

The man said: 'You cannot get a taxi. There's people sleeping in the Metro station. There's people sleeping in the airport.'

They ended up getting a taxi to near their home 18 miles away, but flooding on the road stopped them. A bystander helped them over a barrier with their luggage.

Passengers wait for their flights at the Dubai International Airport amid the delays today

What is happening in Dubai away from the airport?

Flagship shopping centres Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding - while water was ankle-deep in at least one Dubai Metro station.

Some roads collapsed, residential communities were hit by heavy flooding and many householders reported leaks from roofs, doors and windows.

Schools were shut and expected to remain closed today, when further storms could hit. Dubai's government also extended remote working for its employees into today.

The National Center for Meteorology 'urged residents to take all the precautions... and to stay away from areas of flooding and water accumulation' in a post on X.

The Asian Champions League football semi-final between the UAE's Al Ain and Saudi side Al Hilal, due to be hosted in Al Ain, was postponed for 24 hours due the rain.

Sheikh Zayed Road, a 12-lane highway through Dubai, was partially flooded, leaving people stuck for hours in a traffic jam stretching for miles.

Lightning flashes through the Dubai sky during heavy rainfall in the UAE overnight

How long will the flooding last?

Although the heaviest rain eased late last night, severe flooding continues to affect roads, shopping centres and other buildings across Dubai - as well as the airport.

The skies were clear this morning but flooded roads were quiet after the government told its employees and all schools to work remotely for a second consecutive day.

Authorities sent tankers out into the streets and highways to pump away the water. Police and emergency personnel drove slowly through the flooded streets today.

Dubai Airport acknowledged today that flooding had left 'limited transportation options' and affected flights as aircraft crews couldn't reach the airfield.

'Recovery will take some time,' the airport said on X. 'We thank you for your patience and understanding while we work through these challenges.'

People push a stranded car along a flooded street in Dubai after the torrential rain yesterday

Is this the first time Dubai has faced major flooding?

Flights were also disrupted at Dubai Airport back in November last year after heavy rain and thunderstorms caused major flooding on roads.

The weather caused 13 inbound flights to be redirected to other airports, while six outbound flights were cancelled. Bus routes across the city were also suspended.

Dubai also faced flooding last month on March 10, but nothing on the scale of this week which has seen the most rainfall in 24 hours since records began in 1949.

March 10, 2024 -- A cyclist travels along a flooded street after heavy rain in Dubai last month

** Have you been affected by flooding in Dubai? Email: [email protected]