[Watch] What Caused Flooding Dubai? Storm System, Climate Change Or Cloud Seeding?

New Delhi: Dubai came to a standstill on Tuesday due to heavy rainfall, flooding portions of its major highways and the international airport. Operations at the Dubai airport were suspended for 25 minutes in the afternoon before resuming.

Shoppers inside the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping centres in the world, were amazed to see water gushing down from the ceiling and parts of the ceiling come down due to the incessant rains which is the largest rainfall event for the country in 75 years.

According to the Associated Press, which cited the meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport, the city received a year and a half’s worth of rain within 24 hours. The rains began late on Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20 millimetres (0.79 inches) of rain. It further intensified on Tuesday and by the end of the day, more than 142 millimetres (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai. An average year sees 94.7 millimetres  (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport.

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The UAE government had issued warnings ahead of the heavy rains, urging people to stay at home and only leave “in cases of extreme necessity.” It later announced remote working until Wednesday for all federal employees.