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The storm peaks today. By Saturday afternoon, it's gone.
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NCM confirms this is the final wave of the storm system that's been over the UAE all week. Peak window: last night at 10 PM through 4 PM today. Winds gusting to 60 km/h, blowing dust and sand, reduced visibility across the UAE. Temperature topping out around 25°C in Dubai. Potential hail in some areas. Sea conditions: moderate to rough in the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea.
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Roads are already flooded. Dubai Police flagged Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road near Al Qusais and Emirates Road (Bypass Road) for waterlogging. Bus services to Sharjah and Ajman were suspended from 7 PM last night. Gulf News is comparing this system to the April 2024 record-breaking deluge, when 3-6 inches of rain fell against an annual average of 4 inches for the entire year.
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The fine for driving through a flooded wadi: Dh2,000 and 23 black points. Gathering near flood-prone areas: Dh1,000 and 6 black points.
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WHAT TO DO
Stay off the roads until after 4 PM if you can. If you must drive, avoid SZR near Al Qusais and Emirates Road entirely. Do not drive through standing water. If you hear thunder, check NCM before you panic. NCEMA confirmed earlier this week that unusual sounds were weather-related, not security threats. Saturday afternoon onward: clear skies. The worst is almost over.
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207 flights out of DXB, but today is the worst day to get there
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Emirates and flydubai are running roughly 207 flights from Dubai today, at about 60-70% of pre-crisis capacity. Emirates advises arriving at least 2 hours early, but with road flooding, 4 hours is the safer bet. Flexible rebooking and refunds remain available through April 15.
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The storm creates a double problem: reduced visibility and waterlogged roads to the airport. Earlier this week, drone debris struck the T3 arrivals roof and caused a temporary shutdown with delays averaging 85 minutes. Flights resumed, but the airport is still not operating normally.
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International carriers still suspended: BA through May 31, KLM through May 17, United through April 19. Lufthansa's return date was March 28, tomorrow, but with the storm and the pause extension, watch for an update Saturday. On the inbound side: Air India and Air India Express are operating 22 combined Gulf flights today, including 8 non-scheduled UAE flights. IndiGo has reinstated 98 weekly flights. Workers are being called back by employers, and airfares from India to Dubai are spiking.
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WHAT TO DO
If flying today, check your flight status before leaving home. Roads to DXB may be flooded. Do not park in lower airport levels. If you can push your flight to Saturday or later, the storm clears and you skip the worst of it. Emirates' rebooking policy gives you that flexibility through April 15.
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Your bank app has 4 days. After March 31, SMS codes stop working.
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We covered this yesterday, but the weekend is your last easy window. The Central Bank of the UAE mandated that all banks end SMS and email one-time passwords for financial transactions by March 31. That's Tuesday. After that, online card payments only verify through your bank's mobile app using biometrics or an in-app PIN. Major banks like Emirates NBD, ADIB, and FAB already switched months ago. If you still get SMS codes when you buy something online, you have 4 days to fix it.
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The UAE is the first country to fully phase out SMS OTPs for financial transactions. The upside: banks are now fully liable for fraud linked to OTP interception, including phishing and SIM swap attacks. That's good for you, but only if your app is set up before the deadline.
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WHAT TO DO
Try an online purchase today. If you get an SMS code instead of an in-app prompt, download your bank's app, enable biometric login, and turn on push notifications. Do it this weekend. The crisis has pushed most daily transactions online, from groceries to pharmacy orders. Your payment method needs to work.
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