The Indian embassy in the UAE has advised Indian passengers travelling to or transiting through Dubai International Airport to reschedule non-essential travel after the city witnessed incessant rainfall this week.
“Inbound Indian passengers travelling to or transiting through Dubai International Airport are advised to reschedule non-essential travel till operations normalise,” the embassy said in the travel advisory.
The advisory further stated that while the UAE authorities were working round the clock to make sure operations normalise, the airport authorities advised passengers may travel there “only after” final confirmation from the respective airlines regarding the departure date and time of flights.
“Due to disruption caused by unprecedented weather conditions in the UAE earlier this week, Dubai International Airport has temporarily limited the number of inbound flights,” the Indian embassy’s advisory said.
The Indian embassy launched emergency helpline numbers on April 17 to assist Indian citizens affected by extreme weather in Dubai and the northern Emirates.
Dubai received a year’s worth of rain on Tuesday, causing intense flooding across the city, including the submerging of the runway at the Dubai International Airport. Multiple videos flooding social media showed the airport looking like an ocean. Visuals showed cars and other vehicles inundated as roads turned to rivers. The airport halted operations for around half an hour after receiving nearly 100 mm of rain in just 12 hours and a total of 160 mm in 24 hours.
Volunteers used kayaks to save stranded residents.
The Dubai website showed dozens of flights on Tuesday either delayed or cancelled, with affected destinations including India, Pakistan, Saudi and the UK.
The Indian embassy in the UAE on Thursday said that the Indian consulate has facilitated a connection between stranded passengers in Dubai and their families in India.
“Helpline numbers will continue until normalcy returns. We remain committed to serving the Indian community living in or travelling to Dubai and the Northern Emirates,” the embassy tweeted.