Dubai hit by heavy overnight rain as floods snarl traffic and flights

The United Arab Emirates was hit by another burst of heavy rain overnight into Friday, flooding roads across Dubai and forcing police, pumping crews and recovery vehicles onto the streets before dawn.

In several districts, water covered junctions, service roads and underpasses, leaving some motorists stranded and others abandoning their cars. The flooding disrupted the morning commute in one of the Gulf’s busiest cities and again exposed how vulnerable low-lying urban roads can be when intense storms hit the desert metropolis.

Authorities across the United Arab Emirates have issued repeated weather warnings this week as unstable conditions spread across the country ahead of the summer heat. Reports on Friday said more rain and storm activity could continue in parts of the UAE, while Dubai Airports warned travellers to expect possible delays.

Scientists and forecasters say such episodes remain unusual but are becoming harder to dismiss as one-off events, with short, violent downpours increasingly testing drainage systems, transport links and emergency response capacity.