The United Arab Emirates is today attempting to dry out after the heaviest rain ever recorded in the desert nation caused utter chaos - but there are suspicions the horrific flooding in Dubai and elsewhere may have been self-inflicted.

The typically scorching UAE heavily relies on cloud-seeding - a technique which sees aircraft fire salt flares into clouds to speed up condensation and induce rainfall - to provide its groundwater. 

Flight-tracking data analysed by the Associated Press showed one aircraft affiliated with the UAE's cloud-seeding efforts flew around the country on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Habib, a meteorologist at the UAE's National Centre for Meteorology (NCM), told Bloomberg several cloud-seeding sorties were flown in the days before the unprecedented rainfall hit. 

As speculation over the cloud-seeding grew, the NCM later denied in comments to CNBC that the operation had taken place on Tuesday in the hours before the storm - but confirmed the operation was performed on Sunday and Monday.   

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Two men use an inflatable bed to float above the water as downpour causes heavy flooding in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 17, 2024

People wade through submerged streets at flooded area as heavy rains negatively affect daily life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 17, 2024

Trucks pump water from a flooded street following heavy rains in Sharjah on April 17, 2024. Dubai, the Middle East's financial centre, has been paralysed by the torrential rain that caused floods across the UAE and Bahrain and left 18 dead in Oman on April 14 and 15

A man walks through floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024

The roof of a mall is seen collapsed after being battered by heavy rains

An incredible time lapse video shared on social media this morning showed how the thunderstorms rolled in and turned the sky black

The city was totally obscured by rainfall, as evidenced by this shot from a balcony

A picture shows a flooded street following heavy rains in Sharjah on April 17, 2024

Shocking videos shared on social media showed how cars were filled with water, forcing hundreds of motorists to abandon their vehicles and swim to safety. Some cars were completely submerged, with the top of their roofs barely breaking the water's surface

Cars were filled with water, forcing people to abandon their vehicles

Crowds filled the airport as they sheltered from the rain and tried in vain to get information on their flights

Shocking videos shared on social media showed how cars were filled with water, forcing hundreds of motorists to abandon their vehicles and swim to safety. Some vehicles were completely submerged, with the top of their roofs barely breaking the water's surface.

Some wealthy drivers in luxury motors bragged of 'floating' their way through the carnage  - but most saw their vehicles stall as they became stuck in the deluge.

Rainwater also poured into homes, pushing people out of their houses and into the streets to seek shelter in higher structures.

The horrendous floods swamped the airport and many of the surrounding roads, forcing dozens of flights to be cancelled as travellers crammed into the concourse to shelter from the torrential downpour.

The country's hereditary rulers offered no overall damage information or injury information for the nation, as some slept in their flooded vehicles on Tuesday night.

But In Ras al-Khaimah, the country's northernmost emirate, police said one 70-year-old man died when his vehicle was swept away by floodwater.

An incredible time lapse video shared on social media this morning showed how the thunderstorms rolled in and the sky became black before the city was obscured by a blanket of rain.  

Some commentators argued that cloud-seeding could not be responsible for the floods, with experts estimating the technique can only increase seasonal rainfall by 10-30 per cent.

Instead, they suggested that an abnormal weather system was already headed for the region and blamed the brutal flooding on Dubai's poor drainage systems. 

Giles Harrison, Professor of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Reading, said: 'The UAE does do operational cloud seeding, but there is huge difference between what this can achieve – targeting individual, developing clouds with seeding material released from an aircraft – and the Dubai rainfall, which was associated with a large weather system advancing across the region.'

His colleague Professor Maarten Ambaum addeed: 'The UAE does have an operational cloud seeding programme to enhance the rainfall in this arid part of the world, however, there is no technology in existence that can create or even severely modify this kind of rainfall event.'

In this video grab from AFPTV, a man wades through a flooded street in Dubai on April 16, 2024

Cars are stuck on a flooded road after a rainstorm hit Dubai, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 17, 2024

Hundreds of buildings and shops were destroyed throughout the day, as the large masses of water crashed through windows and sent vehicles sailing through walls

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

The storms intensified at around 9am local time on Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail onto the overwhelmed city.

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

An average year sees 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. 

A clean up operation appeared to be underway early this morning, with tanker trucks deployed into the streets and highways to pump away the water. 

Authorities cancelled school and the government instituted a work from home policy as the clean up operation continues. 

Dubai's travel authorities today urged travellers to stay away from the airport, which was was battered by more than a year and a half's worth of rain in just a few hours.

'Recovery will take some time,' the airport said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. 'We thank you for your patience and understanding while we work through these challenges.'

Footage released yesterday from inside the airport - the world's busiest for international travel - showed passengers sleeping on the floor as others were turned away from the terminal.

Standing water lapped on taxiways as aircraft came in to land, forcing operators to completely close the airport for almost an hour yesterday. 

The facility quickly reopened but the schedule has descended into chaos with dozens more flights disrupted.

A statement shared by Dubai airport operators on social media read: 'We advise you NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary. Flights continue to be delayed and diverted. 

'Please check your flight status directly with your airline. We are working hard to recover operations as quickly as possible in very challenging conditions.'

Planes are caught in intense flooding at Dubai International Airport on Tuesday

Airport staff hike through desert scrub to reach accommodation after planes were grounded

Traffic is brought to a standstill as flood waters intensify

Footage from inside the airport - the world's busiest for international travel - showed passengers sleeping on the floor as they waited for flights out of the country, after dozens were grounded following torrential rain 

A statement shared by Dubai airport operators on social media read: 'We advise you NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary. Flights continue to be delayed and diverted'

A Porsche floats down a flooded road as onlookers watch on in shock

A man is seen clambering on top of a vehicle to escape floodwater

Roads surrounding the airport were seen submerged in water, with some wealthy drivers in luxury cars bragging of 'floating' their way through the carnage 

In this video grab from AFPTV, people push a stranded car along a flooded street in Dubai on April 16, 2024

A lightning flashes through the sky during a heavy rainfall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 16 April 2024

Motorisits drive along a flooded street following heavy rains in Dubai early on April 17, 2024

An SUV drives through floodwater covering a road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Abandoned cars are seen littering the roads

Huge swathes of the city were plunged underwater

Some reports suggested people were being turned away from the terminal, such was the level of overcrowding inside as hundreds of travellers looked to escape the chaos 

Several cars remain submerged in the deep flood waters in Dubai as the storms continue into the night - leaving vehicle owners standing in the water and sitting on their car roofs while waiting to be rescued

A handful of brave drivers battling the elements have been spotted sitting atop their roofs and waiting for rescue under the black sky

Cars are stuck on a flooded road after a rainstorm hit Dubai, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 17, 2024

Passengers wait for their flights at the Dubai International Airport in Dubai on April 17, 2024

A plane comes into land on a flooded runway at Dubai airport, Tuesday April 16 2024

Witnesses at the airport on Tuesday evening said there were no empty seats left in the waiting area, as desperate travellers hunkered down and prepared for a long night ahead.

The world's busiest air hub for international passengers confirmed a halt to arrivals at around 3.30pm GMT before announcing a 'gradual resumption' over two hours later.

Outside the walls of the airport, footage from those trapped in the wet conditions shared video and images that resemble an apocalyptic world.   

A handful of brave drivers battling the elements were spotted sitting atop their cars and waiting for rescue under the black sky, but many more chose to abandon their vehicles and swim to safety. 

A clip shared on X early on Tuesday showed entrepreneur and YouTuber Jordan Welch trapped in his Rolls Royce in Dubai as deep water flooded the road.

'My Rolls Royce got flooded and we're stuck in the middle of the road in Dubai,' he wrote. 

'Just like all my friends in crypto... today I am underwater,' he posted in a follow-up.

But others, in Teslas, have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to praise Elon Musk while having 'the best experience with the Tesla Y model' as they 'floated' down the flooded roads while 'every other car is stuck'.

Hundreds of buildings and shops were destroyed throughout the day, as the large masses of water crashed through windows and sent vehicles sailing through walls. 

Unstable weather conditions were expected to continue in the region through to today, UAE's National Center of Meteorology said, though the bulk of the rain appears to have moved eastwards. 

YouTuber and entrepreneur Jordan Welch showed the extent of flooding in Dubai, UAE, Tuesday

Hundreds of shops and buildings have been left in ruins following the strong and rare floods sweeping through parts of the UAE

A Rolls Royce bobs in the murky flood water with the driver having seemingly abandoned the vehicle 

Patio furniture appears to fall from a highrise balcony amid storm conditions in Dubai

There were no signs of any clear-up late last night, as city authorities advised people to stay at home until the 'exceptional weather event' came to an end.    

The National Center for Meteorology also 'urged residents to take all the precautions... and to stay away from areas of flooding and water accumulation' in a post on X.

Flood water was seen cascading through luxury underground malls while shoppers in designer clothes waded through water.

Above ground, howling winds blew furniture off tower-block balconies as the black sky was illuminated by forks of lightning every few seconds.

Footage from Tuesday also showed water crashing through the ceiling of a Flying Tiger as shops began to flood and infrastructure buckle under the pressure.

Products were blasted out across the shop floor as water poured from the ceiling, bystanders helpless to act.

Bus services were promptly set up after water rushed into the Onpassive Metro station, causing severe disruptions.

The sky turned black in Dubai on Tuesday as storms continued to lash the region

Bolts of lightning were seen flashing through the sky on Tuesday

An SUV stalls out while trying to pass through standing water in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Vehicles struggle to wade through the flooding in Dubai on Tuesday

Waves begin to crash in the road as cars are brought to a standstill in Dubai

Indoor spaces, not prepared for the flooding, were also seen soaked through with water

People walk during torrential rain in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai on April 16, 2024

Cars drive through a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 16, 2024

A view of the street after heavy rainfall as adverse weather conditions affect daily life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 15, 2024

Dark, brooding clouds covered the sky above Dubai on Tuesday

Rain is not common in UAE, but occurs periodically during the cooler winter months. 

Many roads lack drainage systems for managing floods. 

Some residents were told to shelter if they felt in danger or were asked by authorities to do so.

Police and the military were sent out to help evacuate citizens in the hardest-hit province of Ash Sharqiyah North, state media reported.

The Asian Champions League football semi-final between the UAE's Al Ain and Saudi side Al Hilal, due to be hosted in Al Ain, was postponed for 24 hours because of the weather.

Rain also fell in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

In neighbouring Oman, a sultanate that rests on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, at least 18 people had been killed in heavy rains in recent days, according to a statement on Tuesday from the country's National Committee for Emergency Management.

That includes some 10 schoolchildren swept away in a vehicle with an adult, which saw condolences come into the country from rulers across the region.

'I like to play in the rain, but for the first time it scares me,' said nine-year-old Ali Hassan, as he helped his mother clear water from outside their house in Manama.

'I was terrified by the sound of thunder and the sky was lit by lightning. I had never seen anything like this, so I hid with my mother... the sound of rain scared me.'

They brought with them plenty of rainfall, with cars struggling on the roads

A severe wave of thunderstorms has been hitting most of UAE's major cities

Many cars have been partially submerged as a result of the heavy rainfall

People push a BMW sports car during a heavy rainfall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Motorists were backed up in a long traffic jam during the heavy rainfall

Bahrain's Interior Ministry issued public safety warnings late Monday amid thunder, lightning and high winds.

In Kuwait, the Meteorological Department warned of impending thunderstorms and advised the public to remain vigilant.

Saudi Arabia's equivalent centre warned that significant rainfall and thunderstorms were to be expected until Wednesday.

Wind and hail are expected in Al Qassim, Riyadh and Al Sharqiya, where temperatures can push past 40C in summer.

Both the Emirati and Omani governments have previously warned that climate change is likely to lead to more flooding.

Individual weather events are often difficult to link to climate change, but scientists say that it increases both the likelihood and strength of extreme weather events.

The Foreign Office separately issued a fresh warning for travellers to multiple destinations on Friday, including Egypt, the UAE (including Dubai), Jordan, Israel, Morocco, Oman and Tunsia, citing the 'rising tension between Iran and Israel'.

People could do little to escape the torrential rain, but tried in vain to use a plastic sheet

The Burj Khalifa looks down over the rain-drenched roads in Dubai on Tuesday

Dozens of cars ploughed through the rainwater on Dubai's roads

Water pours from the roof of a Flying Tiger in a shopping mall amid the brutal storm

A person rides a motorcycle near a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 16

A view of the street after heavy rainfall as adverse weather conditions affect daily life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 15, 2024

Cars drive through a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, April 16, 2024

Cars are parked at a flooded street during a rain storm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 16

A bus stands abandoned in pouring rain as the sky turned green as a storm hit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, April 16