Severe floods ravage Dubai minutes after intense rain storm

Dubai International Airport forced to divert flights after torrential downpour causes the runway to look like an ocean.

Citizens are being told to stay inside as thunder, lighting, hail and heavy rain slams the region.

Dubai saw more rainfall in one day than they see on average for an entire year, nearly 5 inches.

The country of Oman was also hit by the intense rain which reportedly killed 18 people.

Dubai is more generally known for its hot and dry desert weather, with the average temperature in April 33ºC.

However, flash flooding can be deadly, especially if people are in the vicinity of dry riverbeds known as ‘wadi’ in Arabic, which can quickly fill with water and wash away vehicles and bystanders.

Dubai’s flooding comes a day after heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in Oman on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, killing at least 17 people as rescuers searched for survivors.

In one incident, a group of school children and a driver died when their vehicle was overtaken, authorities said.

The UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) stated that the current unsettled weather in the region is expected to last until tomorrow.