How much water can move a car?
Drag the water up and watch what happens. Most people guess it takes a metre. It takes far less, and on a flooded road you can't see how deep it is.
Three numbers to remember
For fast-moving water. Tap one to see it in the simulator.
If a road is flooded
Never drive into water when you can't see the road under it. Find another route or wait for it to drain.
They flood first and fastest, and the water is often deeper than it looks.
Unbuckle, open the window early, get out and climb onto the roof or higher ground. Leave the car, not the people.
The National Center of Meteorology and the police announce closures and warnings. In an emergency, call 999.
In April 2024 the UAE had its heaviest rainfall since records began in 1949, and many roads and underpasses flooded within hours. The 15, 30 and 60 cm figures are the widely used guidance from the US National Weather Service ("Turn around, don't drown"). Real depths depend on the car, the speed of the water and the road. The simulator is a simplified picture, not an engineering model.