The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel.
The state-run WAM news agency called the rain Tuesday “a historic weather event” that surpassed “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.”
Rain also fell in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, the rains were acute across the U.A.E.
The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20 millimetres of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport.
The storms intensified around 9 a.m. local time Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail onto the overwhelmed city.