Dubai city hit by flooding as UAE sees heaviest rainfall in 75 years

Dubai has been hit by heavy flooding after the UAE experienced its largest amount of rainfall in a 24-hour period since records began in 1949.

Heavy rains have hit the United Arab Emirates (UAE), flooding major highways and disrupting flights at Dubai international airport, in the largest amount of rainfall in the UAE in the past 75 years.

The UAE recorded until Tuesday 9pm the largest amount of rainfall over a 24-hour period since records began in 1949, according to the National Centre of Meteorology.

The centre said 254mm of rain was recorded in less than 24 hours in Al Ain, part of the Abu Dhabi emirate that borders Oman. The UAE, a federation of emirates, was established in 1971.

Emirates Airline on Wednesday suspended check-in for passengers departing until midnight after record rains caused significant damage across the United Arab Emirates.

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.

Passengers queue at a flight connection desk at the Dubai International Airport in Dubai as heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates. Photograph: AFP via Getty Images

Dubai International, the hub for Emirates Airline, separately said that it was experiencing significant disruptions with flights delayed or diverted due to the heavy rains.

The airport briefly suspended operations on Tuesday as the rains caused flooding across Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE.

Local media reported that an elderly Emirati man in his 70s died on Tuesday morning when his vehicle was caught in flash floods in the Ras Al Khaimah emirate, in the country's north.

Local media and social media posts showed damage in parts of the country, including collapsed roads. Federal and local governments ordered employees and schools to work remotely on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Residents posted on social media on Tuesday that they had been stuck in hours-long traffic due to flooded roads. The rains had eased by late Tuesday and there were clear skies on Wednesday as authorities surveyed the damage. – Reuters