A total of nine flights bound for Dhaka from the United Arab Emirates were cancelled today due to the heaviest rain ever recorded in the Middle East country.

The flights from Sharjah and Dubai are operated by Air Arabia, Emirates and Fly Dubai.

Of the flights, Air Arabia cancelled five flights while Emirates and Fly Dubai cancelled two each, said Group Captain Kamrul Islam, executive director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Heavy thunderstorms lashed the UAE yesterday, dumping the heaviest rain ever recorded in the country in the span of hours as it flooded portions of major highways and Dubai's international airport, reports AP.

The state-run WAM news agency called the rain "a historic weather event" that surpassed "anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949".

The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20 millimetres (0.79 inches) of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport.

By the end of yesterday, more than 142 millimetres (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours.

An average year sees 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel and a hub for long-haul carrier Emirates.

At the airport, standing water lapped on taxiways as aircraft landed.

The airport ended up halting arrivals last night and passengers struggled to reach terminals through the floodwater covering surrounding roads.