Rain in Dubai: Holiday warning following torrential rain, two weeks after severe flood with flights cancelled - see full list

Popular holiday destination Dubai is being battered by torrential rain just two weeks after a severe flood hit the city. Authorities have issued an emergency public safety alert today (Thursday 2 May) while flights have been cancelled because of the bad weather across the United Arab Emirates.

Residents have been warned to stay safe as the storms sweep across the country. Police have urged residents to "avoid beaches, refrain from sailing and stay clear of valleys".

Brit expat Tom Evans, from Stoke, told The Sun: "It’s not as bad as April’s carnage but Dubai and Abu Dhabi have both pretty much ground to a halt.” Some flights have already been cancelled - at least nine arrivals and four outbound flights from Dubai International Airport were cancelled overnight, while five inbound plans were diverted. 

Meanwhile, several flights have been ditched by Emirates. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Emirates apologised for the inconvenience and said affected customers would be reaccommodated.

Guests departing from Dubai's airports are advised to allocate additional time for their journey to the airport, as road congestion may be anticipated. The airport posted on X: “If you're flying from #DXB today, please allow extra time to get to the airport as there's some congestion on the roads. Use the Dubai Metro to get to Terminals 1 and 3, where possible.”

Dramatic footage has been shared on social media showing the city being battered by stormy conditions with several roads waterlogged. UAE's weather service, The National Center of Meteorology, has issued an amber alert covering much of the country. An alert from the service reads: "If necessary, drive with caution and remain vigilant and alert to ensure safety of all road users."

It comes after Dubai suffered its heaviest rainfall on 14 and 15 April in more than 70 years. A year's worth of rain poured in just 24 hours and the city’s main airport was left submerged underwater with roads at a standstill and homes and businesses filled up with water.

Flights cancelled by Emirates on Thursday 2 May 

• EK 123/124 between Dubai and Istanbul

• EK 763/764 between Dubai and Johannesburg

• EK719/720 between Dubai and Nairobi

• EK 921/922 between Dubai and Cairo

• EK 903/904 between Dubai and Amman

• EK 352/353 between Dubai and Singapore