Emirates was forced to cancel and delay several flights in and out of Dubai, the second-busiest international airport in the world, while people and students were instructed to work and study from home, as heavy rains returned to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
The storm comes just two weeks after record-setting rainfall triggered damaging floods in several parts of the country and neighboring Oman, which killed at least four people in the UAE and ground the bustling city of Dubai to a halt.
The floods also killed at least 19 others in Oman, including 10 children whose school bus was swept away in the deluge.
Video images from the coastal UAE city of Ras Al-Khaimah, shared with CNN, showed palm trees bending in strong winds on Thursday as heavy rains lashed roads and lightning illuminated the sky.
The rainfall was not as heavy as the event two weeks ago, but Dubai experienced 20 millimeters in 12 hours, more than twice what it usually receives over the months of April and May combined. Abu Dhabi saw 34 mm in 24 hours, more than four times what it would usually see over April and May.
