Dubai flooded: Torrential rain leaves holiday destination underwater with flights diverted and cancelled with passengers stranded at airport

Torrential rain has battered popular holiday destination Dubai causing flash flooding across the region. Authorities in Oman said at least 18 people had been killed by floods.

Dubai Airport said flights were "temporarily diverted" yesterday (Tuesday 16 April). In a statement, the airport said inbound flights due to arrive on Tuesday evening had been diverted "due to the continued exceptional weather event currently being experienced in the UAE". It added that departures would continue to operate.

Breaking Aviation News and Videos posted on X, formerly Twitter, a video showing an aircraft at Dubai International Airport driving through deep water. Accompanying the video, it said: “Dubai International Airport says that nine outbound and eight inbound flights were cancelled on Tuesday morning while three further flights were diverted to other airports due to the adverse weather. Heavy rains are expected to continue into Wednesday morning, with convective clouds that bring rainfall and lightning forming over coastal areas – particularly in the north and east of the country.”

The airport said road blockages and flooding have prevented many passengers from reaching the airport for departing flights. Fly Dubai, a budget carrier owned by the government of Dubai, suspended all flights from the UAE hub until 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday (17 April). 

On Tuesday morning, the UAE's National Centre of Meteorology issued a weather warning for large swathes of the country, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The UAE saw over 100 mm of rain, a 75 year record since the UAE began recording rainfall. 

In Bahrain, footage showed cars stranded in flooded roads. The main road connecting Dubai to the capital, Abu Dhabi, was also gridlocked due to flooding.

Entrepreneur and YouTuber Jordan Welch shared a video on X early on Tuesday showing him trapped in his Rolls Royce in Dubai as deep water flooded the road. He wrote: “My Rolls Royce got flooded and we're stuck in the middle of the road in Dubai. Just like all my friends in crypto... today I am underwater.”

Hundreds of buildings and shops were destroyed throughout the day, with vehicles sent through walls. UAE's National Center of Meteorology said unstable weather conditions are expected to continue in the region through to Wednesday. The National Center for Meteorology also “urged residents to take all the precautions... and to stay away from areas of flooding and water accumulation”.