Floods Dubai: Scottish flights delayed indefinitely as Emirates struggles to cope with flooding from heaviest rains in history amid 'cloud seeding'

Severe flooding at Dubai Airport has impacted on international flights coming in and out of the transport hub

Scottish travellers planning a trip to or from Dubai have been hit with severe delays as authorities struggle to cope with the heaviest rains ever to hit the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Passengers on a flight due to leave Dubai for Glasgow on Thursday morning were told they would not receive an update until almost midnight as to whether their flight would run. Meanwhile, Wednesday afternoon’s flight from Glasgow to Dubai, due to leave at 2.45pm, has been delayed, listed as being estimated to leave at 7.30pm.

In total, Emirates has cancelled seven flights between the airport and the UK, with British Airways diverting or axing four.

Passengers wait for their flights at the Dubai International Airport in Dubai on Wednesday. Dubai's major international airport diverted and cancelled scores of incoming flights as heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates, causing widespread flooding around the desert country

A message on the Dubai Airport departures board says information about Thursday morning’s flight will be issued at 11.50pm, as to whether the flight would leave or not. Carrier Emirates has suspended check-ins for all flights from Dubai until midnight.

Wednesday’s flight from Dubai to Scotland left in the afternoon, more than five hours late.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Dubai Airport told passengers: “We advise you not to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary.”

Emirates, which has its main base in Dubai, said: "Emirates is suspending check-in for passengers departing @DXB from 8am on 17 April until midnight, due to operational challenges caused by bad weather and road conditions.

"Passengers arriving in Dubai and already in transit will continue to be processed for their flights. Customers can expect delays to departures and arrivals, and are advised to check the latest flight schedules on https://emirat.es/flightstatus.

"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. Emirates is working hard to restore our scheduled operations, and our teams will provide all possible support to affected customers. Please DM us if you require any assistance."

Dubai has suffered the heaviest rain ever recorded in the UAE, flooding streets and the airport, forcing the cancellation of flights and serious delays of others.

Rain also fell in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The downpours began late on Monday, and intensified around 9am local time on Tuesday. Rain continued throughout the day, dumping more water and hail on the overwhelmed city.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 142mm of rain had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7mm of rain at Dubai International Airport. At the airport, standing water lapped on taxiways as aircraft landed and passengers struggled to reach terminals through the floodwater covering surrounding roads.

Scotland has one direct flight a day to Dubai, from Glasgow Airport. The daily flight, operated by Emirates, leaves at 2.35pm and takes seven hours, ten minutes. The return flight leaves Dubai at 7.05am.

The Tuesday Glasgow flight, due to land at 1.05am Dubai time, which is three hours ahead, landed in Dubai, although more than three hours late.

One reason for the acute rain in the UAE may have been “cloud seeding”, in which small planes flown by the government go through clouds burning special salt flares. Those flares can increase precipitation.

Several reports quoted meteorologists at the National Centre for Meteorology as saying they flew six or seven cloud-seeding flights before the rain. The UAE, which relies heavily on energy-hungry desalination plants to provide water, carries out cloud seeding in part to increase its dwindling, limited groundwater.