The Arabian peninsular was hit by unprecedented rainfall and floods on Wednesday, shutting faculties and grounding flights, with elements of the desert nation United Arab Emirates receiving 10 inches of rain in 24 hours.

In Oman, not less than 18 individuals have died in current days due to the extreme climate, the nation’s Nationwide Committee for Emergency Administration mentioned.

The storms swamped roadways and created harmful circumstances throughout the area, a usually arid a part of the world that’s unaccustomed to intense rain and flash flooding.

Dubai’s airport suggested passengers early Wednesday to not journey to the airport except “completely mandatory.” Main airline Emirates mentioned in a post on X it was suspending check-in for all passengers at Dubai till midnight Wednesday (3 p.m. ET).

The Nationwide Heart of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi mentioned the rain within the UAE surpassed something since data started in 1949, when the world was nonetheless a British protectorate and earlier than the invention of oil.

The Khatm Al Shakla space outdoors the town of Al Ain, close to the border with Oman, obtained 10 inches of practice in lower than 24 hours.

The meteorology heart referred to as it “an distinctive occasion within the UAE’s local weather historical past because the begin of recording local weather information, and it’s anticipated that the approaching hours will witness the recording of bigger quantities of rainfall.”