Dubai floods LIVE: Thousands of UK travellers suffer flights chaos as torrential rain grounds planes

The Only Way Is Essex stars Joey Essex and James ‘Arg’ Argent were left stranded on the streets of Dubai amid the record-breaking rainfall.

Essex, 33, who was a contestant on Dancing On Ice in 2023, was caught up in the aftermath of the torrential rainfall and said the pair had “decided to hitchhike after hours of trying to get back home.”

On his Instagram story, the reality star posted a video of 36-year-old Argent standing next to a flooded road with his hand stuck out in front of him, as Essex said: “Hitchhiking, we have no choice.”

Essex also uploaded a clip of him walking along the street pavement, part of which had seemingly collapsed, as a car tried to make its way across a flooded road that resembled a river.

In the next video Essex was seen holding his shoes as he walked along the streets barefoot, with the water around his ankles.

British solicitor Paul Lidwith, 40, has been stranded in an airport outside Dubai, after his stopover to Dubai International was diverted because of the flooding.

He earlier described his experience as “a disaster”.

He has now shared photos showing Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport, located around an hour away from Dubai International, showing it packed with crowds of diverted passengers.

A solicitor from Merseyside who has been stuck at an airport in Dubai for more than seven hours said the experience has been "a disaster".

Paul Lidwith, 40, from St Helens, booked a flight with Emirates from Auckland in New Zealand, via Sydney, to Manchester, but his journey was delayed after his stopover to Dubai International was diverted because of the flooding.

Mr Lidwith, who was diverted to Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport, located an hour away from Dubai International, said there is no food or water and claimed staff at Emirates had not provided information about his flight to Manchester.

He said: "This airport is for cargo planes and it deals with about maybe half a dozen flights a day. They couldn't handle the flights that were diverted from Dubai International.

"We had to wait on the tarmac for nearly five hours. It took our total journey time from leaving Sydney to getting off the plane here to 22 hours."

Kanish Kumar Deb Barman, 39, said he had been stuck at Dubai airport with his wife since around 4am, when his flight landed late from Paris, missing his next flight to Calcutta, in India.

"People are just lying around in the airport. There is not enough seats and chairs to, you know, let them sit,” he said.

“They are sitting on the floor," he told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday afternoon, as he waited to board the next available flight.

Paul Griffiths, the airport's chief executive, said there are continued issues with flooding on Wednesday, saying every place an aircraft could be safely parked was taken.

Some aircraft had been diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, the city-state's second airfield.

"It remains an incredibly challenging time. In living memory, I don't think anyone has ever seen conditions like it," Mr Griffiths told the state-owned talk radio station Dubai Eye.

"We are in uncharted territory, but I can assure everyone we are working as hard as we possibly can to make sure our customers and staff are looked after."

Dubai International Airport has said it is still functioning with limited capacity.

It said there were “limited transportation options” affecting flights, as ground crews struggled to reach planes.

“Recovery will take some time,” the airport said. “We thank you for your patience and understanding while we work through these challenges.”

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have said the torrential downpour killed at least one person.

The UAE witnessed a record rainfall with 254 mm falling in Al Ain on Tuesday in less than 24 hours, according to the national meteorology centre.

That was the most since records began in 1949, before the country was established in 1971.

Diisruption continues on Wednesday with Emirates airline suspending check-in for passengers departing Dubai airport until midnight.

Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest, said it was facing significant disruptions after the heavy rains delayed or diverted flights and had impacted flight crews.

Passengers at Dubai International Airport have aired their anger after many were forced to sleep in the terminal building due to the cancellations.

One said in a message to Emirates: “My daughter is travelling alone and stuck at Dubai for flight EK009 today.

“All check in is cancelled as airport at dangerous capacity levels. Assuming this flight will also be cancelled. No sight of Emirates people in T3 to support.”

Another, who was stuck in Abu Dhabi, added: “Still stuck in the Abu Dhabi and my transitioning flight from Dubai to my final destination has been cancelled and Emirates is nowhere to be found. No communication from them whatsoever.”

Several flights heading to Dubai from Heathrow and Gatwick have been cancelled today due to the weather conditions.

These include the EK012 Emirates / Qantas QF 8012 flight at 10.15 from Gatwick, and the EK006D Emirates service at 11.10 flight from Heathrow.

Passengers at rain-soaked Dubai International Airport have described the situation as “carnage”.

Arrivals were halted Tuesday night, and passengers struggled to reach terminals through the floodwater covering surrounding roads.

One couple, who spoke to the AP news agency anonymously for fear of official reprisal called the situation at the airport "absolute carnage."

"You cannot get a taxi. There's people sleeping in the Metro station. There's people sleeping in the airport," the man said on Wednesday.

They ended up getting a taxi to near to their home some 18 miles away, but floodwater on the road stopped them. A bystander then helped them over a highway barrier with their carry-on luggage.