‘Don’t come to the airport’: Dubai issues advisory after heavy rainfall
Dubai International (DXB) airport on Tuesday temporarily suspended operations while 45 inbound and outbound flights were cancelled due to adverse weather.
It warned that inclement weather could cause flight delays and disruption on Wednesday morning as well. Operations were suspended for 25 minutes earlier in the day because of a storm.
The airport authorities said they encountering several “operational challenges” due to the unprecedented weather conditions.
It urged people “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.”
Dubai International Airport (DXB) had been temporarily diverting arriving flights on Tuesday evening until weather conditions improve, while keeping the departures operational.
The website for Dubai airport, one of the world’s busiest, shows dozens of flights on April 16 delayed or canceled, with affected destinations including India, Pakistan, Saudi and the United Kingdom.
Adverse weather hit other locations in the Gulf Peninsula, including Oman, where at least 18 people have been killed due to heavy rains in recent days, its state news agency said.
Videos shared on different social media platforms on Tuesday showed runways were flooded after heavy rains that started across the UAE.
“There is major flooding on access roads around Dubai leading to the airport and current weather forecasts indicate that the unsettled weather will continue to cause delays and disruption into the early hours of Wednesday April 17, morning,” Dubai Airports said.
It said response teams have been activated and are working closely with airlines and other service partners to restore normal operations at the earliest and minimise inconvenience to customers.
Rains and thunderstorms hit different parts of the UAE on Tuesday, prompting authorities at the federal and emirate levels to issue safety advisories for residents and travellers.