The highest rainfall was recorded in the “Khatm Al Shakla” area in Al Ain, reaching 254 mm in less than 24 hrs….reports Asian Lite News
In a historic weather event, the UAE witnessed its heaviest rainfall on record in the past 24 hours. Surpassing anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949, the downpour impacted numerous regions across the country.
The National Centre of Meteorology confirmed that the record rainfall that fell on the country during the past 24 hours until 9 pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, is an exceptional event in the UAE’s climate history since the start of recording climate data, and it is expected that the coming hours will witness the recording of larger amounts of rainfall.
The centre said that so far, the highest rainfall was recorded in the “Khatm Al Shakla” area in Al Ain, reaching 254 mm in less than 24 hrs.
It is noteworthy that the NCM’s Shuwaib station had recorded 287.6 mm on 2016/3/9.
This heavy rainfall is an exceptional event in the UAE that contributes to increasing the annual rainfall average in the UAE, as well as strengthening the country’s groundwater reserves in general.
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DXB diverts flights
Dubai International (DXB) is advising passengers not to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary due to the unprecedented weather conditions in the country.
In a statement, Dubai Airports said that flights continue to be delayed and diverted. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest information on flight status.
Dubai Airports assures passengers that they are working hard to recover operations as quickly as possible in very challenging conditions.
Emirates Airlines: Emirates Airlines has decided to suspend travel procedures for passengers departing from Dubai starting from 8:00 am on Wednesday, 17th April, until midnight on 18th April, due to operational challenges resulting from adverse weather conditions and road conditions.
Emirates Airlines added that procedures for passengers arriving in Dubai and transit passengers will continue.
Etihad Airways: Due to the adverse weather conditions including heavy rains in Abu Dhabi (AUH), some Etihad Airways flights may be delayed, the airline said in a statement today.
“Guests are advised to regularly check etihad.com for the latest information about their flight departure and allow plenty of time to travel to the airport,” added the statement.
“Etihad will be working closely with guests affected by any disruption to assist them with changes to their itineraries and to reach their final destination.The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our number one priority and we regret any inconvenience caused.”
Flydubai: All flydubai flights scheduled for departure from Dubai yesterday evening (16 April) were cancelled effective immediately until 10:00 (Dubai local time) on 17 April. During this period, passengers who do not have Dubai as their final destination will not be accepted for travel.
Passengers who hold bookings that have been cancelled will be offered a full refund. “Our Customer Service teams are working extremely hard to mininise the disruption to our passengers’ travel schedule. The safety of our passengers and crew is always our priority. We apologise for the inconvenience caused as a result of the adverse weather.”
Remote work extended
The governments of Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Ajman have announced that remote work will continue “Wednesday”, April 17, for the emirate’s government employees, due to the ongoing weather conditions.
However, jobs requiring presence at the workplace, as determined by the relevant authority within each government department, are excluded, according to the announcement.
