DUBAI, March 2 Heavy rains in the Gulf desert state of the United Arab Emirates caused flooding, traffic jams, car accidents and school closures on Tuesday, after four weather-related deaths at the weekend.

Some residents of the emirate of Sharjah were trapped in their homes by high waters, a photographer reported. Cars were almost completely submerged on some roads.

Sharjah residents waded through the water with rolled-up pants, while trucks looked like barges as they ploughed through the flooded streets.

Gulf News reported on its website that a major thoroughfare, the Dubai-Sharjah sector of the Emirates Road bypass, was closed due to the flooding.

Traffic on Dubai's main Sheikh Zayed Road slowed to a crawl, with several accidents sighted. Many secondary roads in the city were flooded due to lack of drainage facilities.—AFP