Dubai airport shut as UAE suffers 18 months of rain in a day

Flights arriving into Dubai airport - the world's busiest for international travel - were temporarily diverted on Tuesday evening to other locations after the city-state was hit by major flooding following heavy rainfall.

More than 120mm (4.7 inches) of rain came down on Tuesday, which is the typical yearly average in the desert nation.

Homes and roads were flooded and partially submerged cars were left abandoned.

The tarmac at Dubai International Airport was also flooded as planes made their way around what looked more like a lake.

There was also heavy rainfall in other parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven emirates that consists of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Rain is unusual in the UAE - but it happens periodically during the cooler winter months.

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