Dubai International Airport warns travellers ‘not to come’ due to extreme floods

Dubai International Airport has issued a warning to travellers as heavy rain batter the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday. Dubai experienced more than a year and a half’s worth of rain in the span of hours, leaving sections of major highways and runways at the airport flooded.

Rain began late on Monday, with some 0.79 inches falling according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport. Thunderstorms intensified at around 9am local time on Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping the city with more rain and hail.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 5.59 inches of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 3.73 inches of rain at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel and a hub for the long-haul carrier Emirates.

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Videos shared on social media showed standing water lapping on taxiways as aircraft landed. The airport ended up halting arrivals on Tuesday night and passengers struggled to reach terminals through the floodwater covering surrounding roads.

On Wednesday Dubai International Airport issued a warning to travellers urging them not to come to the airport if it's not ‘absolutely necessary’ on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. It said: We advise you 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. We are working hard to recover operations as quickly as possible in very challenging conditions.”

Police and emergency personnel drove slowly through the flooded streets of Dubai, their emergency lights shining across the