Desert city of Dubai floods as UAE hit by heaviest rainfall in 75 years | United Arab Emirates

Heavy rains have hit the United Arab Emirates, flooding major highways and disrupting flights at Dubai international airport – in what the government has described as the largest amount of rainfall in the past 75 years.

The rains began on Monday night, and by Tuesday evening, over 120mm (4.75in) had soaked the desert city of Dubai – normally the average amount it gets for the whole year.

Some inland areas of the UAE recorded more than 80mm (3.2in) of rain over 24 hours to 8am Tuesday, approaching the annual average of about 100mm. Rain is unusual in the UAE, on the arid Arabian…