Dubai Chaos After Record Rains

Dubai's giant highways were clogged by flooding and its major airport was in chaos as the Middle East financial center remained gridlocked, a day after the heaviest rains on record.

Tailbacks snaked along waterlogged, six-lane expressways after up to 259.5 millimeters of rain, the most since records began 75 years ago, fell on the desert United Arab Emirates.

At least one person was killed after a 70-year-old man was swept away in his car in Ras Al-Khaimah, one of the oil-rich country's seven emirates, police said.

Power outages were reported around Dubai, which was dotted with flooded areas and submerged and abandoned cars. One road tunnel near the airport was completely flooded to a depth of several meters.

Passengers were warned not to come to Dubai airport, the world's busiest by international traffic, "unless absolutely necessary", an official said.

"Flights continue to be delayed and diverted," a Dubai Airports spokesperson said, calling working conditions "very challenging".

Dubai's flagship Emirates airline canceled all check-ins as staff and passengers struggled to arrive and leave, with access roads flooded and some metro services suspended.

At the airport, long taxi queues formed and passengers milled around, many growing increasingly frustrated as nearly every departure was repeatedly delayed.

Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered at a connections desk, clapping and whistling in protest at the lack of information. Scores of flights were also delayed, canceled and diverted during torrential rain.

The storms hit the UAE and Bahrain overnight, after lashing Oman, where 18 people were killed including children.

Official media said it was the highest rainfall since records began in 1949, before the formation of the UAE in 1971.

Schools will also remain closed until next week in Bahrain, which saw record one-day rainfall of 96.88mm , beating the 67.9mm witnessed in 1995.