Even though we love a bit of rain in the UAE, it doesn't come without its drawbacks: namely, flooding and traffic accidents. Earlier today, Dubai and Abu Dhabi were subjected to exceptionally strong winds and heavy rainfall causing a number of traffic accidents, jams and floods on the streets. Whilst these were quite expected, what wasn't was how the rain water made its way into the world's biggest shopping mall, The Dubai Mall this afternoon. Gulf News captured the incident and shared the below footage.
Rainwater in shops inside Dubai Mall from GulfNewsTV on Vimeo.
Footage of the leaks and floods at the mall have been circulating social media with the above clip showing inches-deep water inside some of the mall's stores. "Dubai Mall was affected by the heavy rainfall, causing leakages in limited areas," said an Emaar spokesperson. "We are working to contain all leakages and the mall remains operational and open to the public. Mall staff are on the ground, ensuring the visitor experience remains unaffected."
Another clip shows water gushing into The Dubai Mall's parking lot with remarkable tenacity. The mall has remained open to customers throughout the day but it is evident that mall management have a lot of work to get done to restore the shops and parking space back ahead of the next downpour which can be expected anytime between today and tomorrow.
Rainwater gushing down from ceiling at Dubai Mall from GulfNewsTV on Vimeo.
Government entities have issued warnings to drivers to slow down to avoid hydraplaning. Stay safe!
