Online Desk:  A total of nine flights from Dubai to Dhaka were cancelled due to the severe weather conditions in the UAE and the region.

The flights, scheduled from 17 April to 24 April were cancelled, confirmed Group Captain Mohammad Kamrul Islam, executive director of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The cancelled flights include five flights of Air Arabia Airlines, two each of both Emirates Airlines and FlyDubai Airlines.

Heavy thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, dumping over a year and a half’s worth of rain on the desert city-state of Dubai in the span of hours as it flooded out portions of major highways and its international airport, reports AP.

The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport.

The storms intensified around 9 a.m. local Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail onto the overwhelmed city.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours.

An average year sees 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel and a hub for the long-haul carrier Emirates.