Unfavourable weather across the United Arab Emirates is affecting flights into and out of Dubai, causing delays, diversions, and cancellations on April 16 and 17. Due to thunder, lightning, hail, and intense rain, government offices and schools in Dubai have been told to send staff members home. When it's feasible, residents are advised to stay inside and only leave their houses "in cases of extreme necessity." Over 86 million passengers passed through Dubai Aiport in 2023, making it one of the busiest airports in the world. As of right now, the airport's website indicates that at least 20 flights are cancelled and several more are delayed on April 16. Affected locations included Saudi Arabia, Manchester, and cities in India and Pakistan. In addition to Dubai, the surrounding emirates of Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain were all put on alert. Adverse weather hit locations including Abu Dhabi on Monday 15 April. There were additional reports of flooded highways, while in neighbouring Oman, 18 people have been killed due to heavy rains in recent days. [caption id="attachment_6765" align="alignleft" width="2560"] Near Dubai Frame. Photo: The Dazzling Dawn[/caption]   Airlines including Emirates are urging passengers to arrive at the airport up to four hours before their scheduled flight time, while a tweet from Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority read: “If you’re travelling from #DXB today, be sure to allow extra time to get to the airport and use the Dubai Metro, where possible. The metro operating hours have now been extended till 3AM tonight.” Passengers on flights scheduled to leave Dubai are advised to use the flydubai website to track their flight status. A spokesperson for Dubai Airport said: “Dubai Airports can confirm that operations continue to be significantly disrupted at Dubai International (DXB) due to heavy rain and flooding on Tuesday, 16 April. Due to the intense storm, operations were temporarily suspended for 25 minutes this afternoon, but have since recommenced, and are now in recovery mode. “A total of 21 outbound and 24 inbound flights have been cancelled since 00:02hrs LT this morning, and 3 flights were diverted to other neighbouring airports. “We urge guests to check directly with their airline to obtain the latest information on the status of their flight, allow significant extra travel time to the airport, and use Dubai Metro for smoother transit, which has extended operating hours until 03:00 hrs LT tonight.” Advice from the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority includes recommending “preventive measures for heavy rain and hailstorms to minimise impacts on properties” and “parking vehicles in distant, safe and elevated locations”.