OREANDA-NEWS  Heavy rains hit Dubai. The resort, popular with Russians, was flooded with stormwater, the Associated Press (AP) writes.

Heavy rains began in the United Arab Emirates on the night of April 16. In less than a day, over 120 millimeters of precipitation fell in the country's largest city — in a desert climate, this amount of precipitation falls on average per year.

On the eve of the hurricane, schools were closed throughout the UAE, and civil servants were transferred to remote operation. Residents are urged to stay at home and, if necessary, take shelter in shelters. Local roads are not equipped with drainage systems, so they turned into rivers during the day. Major highways were flooded.

Flights at Dubai International Airport, the largest civilian airport in the UAE and one of the busiest in the world, were canceled due to squally winds. Lightning flashing in the sky touched the top of the Burj Khalifa Tower, the world's tallest skyscraper. In addition, one of the metro stations went under water.