United Arab Emirates officials issued warnings to residents on Thursday evening that Dubai would experience “unstable weather conditions until the morning” with rain, thunder, lightning and strong gusts of wind.
Dramatic pictures were posted on social media of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building at 829m (2,722ft), struck by lightning in the midst of the overnight storm.
Heavy rain flooded main roads, according to photos shared by Dubai Police. The force activated an emergency response plan to address potential disruptions, said Brigadier Turki Abdulrahman bin Fares, director of the general department of operations at Dubai Police.

