Dubai: Flydubai said on Tuesday it temporally suspended all of its flights departing from Dubai until Wednesday morning due to bad weather, the UAE state news agency WAM reported. "All flydubai flights scheduled for departure from Dubai this evening (16 April) have been 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," a flyDubai spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) had been temporarily diverting arriving flights on Tuesday evening until weather conditions improve, while keeping the departures operational.
The website for Dubai airport, one of the world's busiest, shows dozens of flights on April 16 delayed or cancelled, with affected destinations including India, Pakistan, Saudi and the United Kingdom.
Adverse weather hit other locations in the Gulf Peninsula, including Oman, where at least 18 people have been killed due to heavy rains in recent days, its state news agency said.
Death toll rises to 18
Meanwhile, the death toll in separate heavy flooding in neighbouring Oman rose to 18 with others still missing as the sultanate prepared for the storm. The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20 millimetres (0.79 inches) of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storms intensified around 9 a.m. local Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail onto the overwhelmed city.
By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimetres (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimetres (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.
At the airport, standing water lapped on taxiways as aircraft landed. The airport ended up halting arrivals Tuesday night and passengers struggled to reach terminals through the floodwater covering surrounding roads.
(With inputs from agency)
