The United Arab Emirates is still struggling with the aftermath of a record-breaking storm as at Thursday, April 18.
Thus was as an unprecedented storm had within this week, brought much of the country to a standstill.
In Dubai, operations at the airport, a major travel hub, are still disrupted after Tuesday’s storm submerged the runway, leading to flight diversions, delays and cancellations.
Earlier on Thursday, the airport revealed that it had resumed receiving inbound flights at Terminal 1, popularly used by foreign carriers, but the flights are still being delayed and disrupted.
Emirates, the single largest carrier at the airport, had on Thursday announced that it would recommence checking-in passengers in Dubai at 9 a.m. (05:00 GMT) thereby postponing the restart from midnight by nine hours.
The airport is presently battling to provide food to stranded passengers as the nearby roads have been blocked by flood waters. Additionally, due to the risk of overcrowding, there is a limited access to those who had confirmed bookings.
The storm, had struck neighbouring Oman on Sunday, overwhelming the UAE on Tuesday by flooding roads and causing hours-long gridlock as rainwater inundated homes. So far, one person was reported dead in the UAE and 20 in Oman.
Flooding had trapped residents in traffic, offices and homes as the UAE recorded its heaviest rains in the region, in the 75 years that records have been kept, according to the authorities.
Government employees and students have been warned to stay home while the waterlogged roads are being drained.
Climate experts have meanwhile shared their observations that the rising temperatures are being caused by human-led climate change which is causing the extreme weather events around the globe, such as the one seen in the UAE and Oman.
