75-year highest rain in UAE paralyzes life system

Dubai: Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), breaking the 75-year record of rains in the country.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates issued a red alert for most areas after heavy rains and hail.

In the UAE, including Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, large areas and roads were flooded after torrential rains and hailstorms, with dozens of metro stations and underpasses inundated.

Several sections of Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai's most important highway, were closed, which resulted in the queues of vehicles and severe traffic jams for several hours.

Flight operations were also affected due to the rain, hundreds of flights were delayed leaving thousands of passengers stranded, large-scale landslides occurred in the Al-Quwa region while a civilian was swept away in Ras Al-Khamiya.

Due to the forecast of lightning and hail, the Emirati authorities have issued a new advisory, in which the public has been instructed to avoid going out of the house unnecessarily.

The Emirati Meteorological Department says that the rain may continue till Wednesday (today). Due to the uncertainty, school timings have also been affected, educational institutes have been closed and shifted to online classes.