DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The United Arab Emirates tried to wring itself out April 18 after the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, with its main airport allowing more flights even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and communities.
Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, allowed global carriers on the morning of April 18 to again fly into Terminal 1 at the airfield.
By the end of April 16, 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. Other areas of the country saw even more precipitation.
The UAE’s drainage systems quickly became overwhelmed April 16, flooding out neighborhoods, business districts and even portions of the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road highway running through Dubai.
›The state-run WAM news agency called the rain “a historic weather event” that surpassed “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.” (AP)
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