'Pretty nervous': Aussie caught in Dubai storms

It's the family reunion Samara Low had been waiting for even if it did mean an unexpected delay at a flooded Dubai airport.

Born and raised in the Southern Highlands, Samara was unwittingly caught up in the wild weather event that hit the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.

She was on her way to London to meet her nephew Atlas for the first time and reunite with her big sister Nicole.

However, when her Qantas flight landed in Dubai things got scary. The tarmac resembled a lake so passengers on Samara's flight waited on the plane for four hours.

Parts of the country received 2 1/2 times the average annual rainfall in a day, while the death toll in neighbouring Oman rose to 18 with others still missing.

The rains began late on Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with 20mm of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport.

The storms intensified about 9am on Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail onto the overwhelmed city.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 142mm of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours.

Back in Australia, Samara's mum Marion and dad Gavin grew worried.

"We found out about all the flooding and all the incidents over there and we couldn't contact her for ages," Gavin Low said. "Of course her mum was beside herself."

If Samara's flight had of been scheduled later in the day it would have likely been diverted away from the UAE. Instead, the Qantas flight eventually was cleared to take off and continue its journey to London.

"We've spoken by text," Gavin Low said. "She (Samara) was pretty anxious but now that she has caught up with her sister and her new nephew she's feeling a lot better.

"We were pretty nervous to say the least. Trying to find out what's happened with the flight, if it got diverted, which it didn't and if they landed whether they landed okay."

Despite arriving at 3am in London and without her luggage - which is still in Dubai (or maybe on the way to New York) - the former Oxley College student was rewarded with meeting her nephew for the first time.

"I'm just really happy she got out of there," Gavin Low said.