A relentless deluge of rain battered the United Arab Emirates and Oman this week, killing at least 20 people, causing scores of delays and cancellations at Dubai’s airport and bringing other cities to a standstill in what experts have described as a weather system supercharged by climate change.
The storm first hit Oman on Sunday, killing 19 people as it caused widespread flash flooding and turned streets into raging rivers in Muscat, the capital. In the U.A.E., which experienced its largest rainfall in 75 years, one person died in the city of Ras Al-Khaimah and the authorities urged residents to remain at home as videos showed cars submerged on gridlocked highways and planes taxiing down flooded runways.
By Thursday, rains had subsided and Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, has resumed some flights, though delays and disruptions persisted. It was experiencing some shortages of refreshments because flooded roads had interfered with deliveries, the airport said on social media.
Here are photos and video of the flooding:
Jenny Gross contributed reporting.