A storm hit the United Arab Emirates and Oman this week bringing record rainfall that flooded highways, inundated houses, grid-locked traffic and trapped people in their homes. At least 20 people were reported to have died in the deluge in Oman while another person was said to have died in floods in the UAE that closed government offices and schools for days. The storm had initially hit Oman on April 14 before it pounded the UAE on April 16, knocking out power and causing huge disruptions to flights as runways were turned into rivers. In the UAE, a record 254 millimetres (10 inches) of rainfall was recorded in Al Ain, a city bordering Oman. It was the largest ever in 24 hours since records started in 1949.