Airport operations suspended, flooded roads closed across Kuwait’

Kuwait Airport suspended operations until further notice after Kuwait received nearly a year's worth of rainfall in the last 24 hours. 

Flights coming to Kuwait's airport have been redirected to some GCC airports due to the impacts of the heavy rains on the visibility, DGCA's deputy director general for airport affairs Fahad Al-Wugayyan told KUNA in a statement.The flights were redirected to Saudi Arabia's Ad Dammam and Riyadh airports, and Bahrain's Manama airport, he noted. All flights departing from Kuwait were delayed and all passengers were informed about new schedules, he pointed out. 

Across Kuwait, dozens of major highways and roads were closed or partially closed Thursday following massive rainfall overnight. The desert nation experienced an incredible 97 millimeters of rainfall within the last 24 hours (as of 9am Thursday) with rains expected to continue throughout the day, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Meteorological Department. Kuwait typically receives around 100 millimeters of rain in an entire year on average. 

Emergency crews, fire services, police and Interior Ministry officers worked through the night and a reported 148 people were relocated by Kuwait’s Civil Defense after their homes were damaged from the rains and flooding. Kuwait set up emergency shelters in all five governorates to receive people with homes damaged by the rains. Operations at all three of Kuwait's ports were suspended as well. 

The Council of Ministers extended the public holiday from Wednesday into Thursday, shutting all public and private schools, universities, ministries, government departments and offices. Banks, the Kuwait bourse and many businesses also closed due to the heavy rainfall. 

Road closures include:

Highways:

* King Fahd entrance to Mishref Bridge

* King Fahd exit Mishref bridge towards Ahmadi

*King Fahd entrance of Sanater bridge  towards Ahmadi

* King Fahd bridge Ahmadi governorate in the direction of Nuwaisib

* King Fahd entrance to Adan hospital bridge towards Ahmadi

* Ghazali 4th Ring underpass in both directions Kuwait Times

* King Fahd entrance of the city of Sabah Al-Ahmad towards Nuwaisib

* Seventh ring in both directions * Mangaf underpass in both directions

* The sixth ring opposite Jaber Stadium in both directions

* King Faisal 6th ring road towards the city

*King Faisal entrance 5th ring towards the airport

Capital:

* Al-Jahra road from Al-Ghazali to the City Center roundabout in both directions

* Gamal Abdel Nasser road towards the second Ring Road

Hawalli:

* Intersection of the third with Cairo Street

* Salmiya Junction of Salam 

Farwaniya:

* Intersection of Mohammed Al-Qasim with Walid Al-Hasar

* Exit UN nations roundabout towards Salmiya

* intersection of the sixth & seventh roads heading to kabd

Ahmadi:

* Coastline from the intersection of Othman to Kuwait Magic Circle

* roundabout Mangaf

* Intersection of Fahaheel Club

* South of the Assabahiyah intersection Kuwait Times newspaper

* Al-Hamlan roundabout * Al-Badawiya Roundabout

Al-Jahra:

* Sixth ring parallel to Saad Al-Abdullah in both directions

*Ajian intersection towards the united nations roundabout.

*Bridge between Jaber Al-Ahmad and Saad Al-Abdullah in both directions 

Mubarak Al-Kabir:

* Route 209, right of Jabir Al-Ali

* Road 208 entrance 91 st

* Route 250 towards 209

* Subhan right of the military hospital * Road 209 exit Mubarak al-Kabeer

Interior Ministry calls on all residents to stay at home except for the utmost necessity in the current period so that the concerned authorities can withdraw the water and open the way and we hope to cooperate with security. 

@moi_kuw 

#KuwaitTimes #Kuwait #news

By Jamie Etheridge