Heavy rain floods streets in Jeddah for second time in weeks
Streets in Jeddah have been inundated following heavy rain as Saudi officials issued weather warnings across the country.
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Heavy rain, thunder and lightning have hit several regions across Saudi Arabia throughout Thursday and Friday, causing streets in Jeddah to flood for the second time in a matter of weeks as more heavy rain is expected in the coming days.
Footage shared online showed busy roads filled with water with many cars carefully cruising through. Other videos showed vehicles almost entirely submerged in water.
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) raised the rain alert level in Jeddah late on Thursday and kept it in place until Friday morning.
The heavy rain forced Jeddah universities to postpone classes and flights at the King Abdulaziz International Airport to be delayed, as a combination of thunderstorms, wind and hail led to poor visibility.
Jeddah's Basateen district recorded 54.2mm of rain, while the airport recorded 48mm, according to the NCM.
The city's ambulance service also said they had raised their level of preparedness on Friday.
Residents of the holy city of Mecca were advised by authorities not to leave their homes for non-essential reasons while the alert was in place.
Social media users posted videos of the heavy downpour at the Grand Mosque as worshippers circled the Kaaba.
Rain alerts were issued for other cities, with NCM expecting moderate to heavy rain levels until Tuesday in the provinces of Mecca, Madina, Riyadha, al-Qassim, al-Baha, and the Eastern region.
Last week, properties and vehicles were damaged a flash floods hit Mecca.
Jeddah, a city of roughly four million people located close to the Red Sea, is often referred to as the "gateway to Mecca", where millions perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages each year.
Winter rainstorms and flooding occur almost every year in the city, where residents have long decried poor infrastructure.
