Heavy rains in Saudi Arabia's coastal city of Jeddah on Thursday delayed flights, forced school closures and shut the road to Mecca, Islam's holiest city, state media reported.
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.
Images posted to social media on Thursday showed cars being swept along streets through raging torrents of water.
The city's King Abdulaziz International Airport said that "due to weather conditions, the departure of some flights has been delayed" and urged passengers to contact carriers for up-to-date schedules.
The official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported before dawn that schools in the city would be closed, as rains were forecast to continue throughout the day.
Schools were also closed in the nearby towns of Rabigh and Khulais "to preserve the safety of male and female students", SPA said.
The kingdom's schools are in the middle of final exams, yet schools had already been closed nationwide on Wednesday after King Salman declared a holiday following Saudi Arabia's shock victory over Argentina in the World Cup.
Winter rainstorms and flooding occur almost every year in Jeddah, where residents have long decried poor infrastructure. Floods killed 123 people in the city in 2009.
In November 2017, Jeddah police received 11,000 calls in one morning following heavy downpours in the city.
Last year, a plunge in temperatures in Saudi Arabia also resulted in floods in many parts of Jeddah. Saudis used the hashtag #جده_الان (Jeddah now) to share videos of the extreme weather conditions, and the same hashtag was in use on Thursday.
Severe flash flooding struck in western parts of Saudi Arabia after torrential rain on 24 November 2022. The city of Jeddah in Mecca Province recorded 179 mm of rain in 6 hours. At least 2 fatalities have been reported as a result of floods in the city.
Flooded streets caused havoc in the city of Jeddah in Mecca Province on 24 November. Police and Civil Protection were called to rescue drivers and remove stranded vehicles. Flights were delayed at King Abdulaziz International Airport and several homes were left without electricity. Authorities closed schools and universities in affected areas of the Province.
In a statement, the government of Mecca Province said 2 people had died in the floods in Jeddah and urged residents to remain indoors unless for urgent needs.
Saudi Arabia's National Center for Meteorology said the city of Jeddah recorded 179 mm of rain between 08:00 and 14:00 on 24 November. The total exceeded the amount of rainfall registered in 2009 when over 120 people died in flash floods in the city. Around 90 mm of rain fell in a 4 hour period on 25 November 2009.
According to figures from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the mean total rainfall for November in the city is 23 mm. The annual mean total rainfall is 55.6 mm.
Heavy rain also affected areas of the neighbouring Medina Province. Saudi Civil Defense said emergency teams rescued 5 people after a vehicle was swept away by flood waters in a rural area of Medina.
Dieu a dit : "Et je n'ai créé les djinns et les humains que pour qu'ils m'adorent" (Coran 51/56) 3 43 - "Ô Marie, obéit à Ton Seigneur, prosterne-toi, et incline -toi avec ceux qui s'inclinent". Vous etes sur cette planète pour connaitre Dieu et pour l'adorer .
Comment: Update November 25
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