Torrential rain hit Saudi Arabia's Taif province, wreaking havoc on properties and road infrastructure, according to Okaz newspaper.

Advisor to Saudi King and Mecca governor Prince Khalid Al Faisal ordered a probe committee to investigate the "causes and shortcomings".

Five hours of heavy rain were enough to bring neighbourhoods to a standstill, causing massive losses to properties and infrastructure.

Heavy rain has been affecting northern and central areas of Thailand since 15 May, causing floods in several provinces. Local disaster officials report that some areas have recorded almost 300 mm of rain in a 24 hour period.

Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported earlier today that around 800 people have been evacuated in Mueang Kamphaeng Phet, the capital district of Kamphaeng Phet Province. DDPM says that 280.5 mm of rain fell on 17 May, causing floods that affected a local hospital.

DDPM also reported flooding in the province of Uttaradit. Local media report that 2,000 households in Thong Saen Khan district have been asked to evacuate to higher ground by local authorities.

Towns along Queensland's coastline have been hit with record deluges as forecasters warn of potential flash flooding across the state.

Collinsville and Proserpine in the Whitsunday region both had their wettest May day on record, with respective downpours of 120mm and 111mm, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Friday afternoon.

The drenching has seen areas around Townsville in north Queensland drenched by more than 100mm of rain over the 24 hours to Friday morning, while there were also steady falls further down the coast.

The soaking even forced Townsville City Council to cancel Heritage Day, which was set to take place on Sunday, as well as warn residents to be on the look out for pot holes.

Minor flood warnings were also put in place for the Ross River and Houghton River near Townsville and the Don River and Proserpine River near Bowen and Proserpine.

For the first time in its history, the World Meteorological Organization has released world records of the human toll from extreme weather events.

In a press release sent to weather.com Thursday, WMO says it is releasing world records for the highest reported historical death tolls from tropical cyclones, tornadoes, lightning and hailstorms. Previously, the official WMO Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes kept only temperature and weather records to address the impacts of specific events.

Randy Cerveny, Arizona State University professor of geographical science and urban planning, is the chief Rapporteur of Climate and Weather Extremes for WMO. In other words, Cerveny is the "keeper of the world's weather extremes."

"In today's world, it seems like the latest weather disaster is the worst," Cerveny said. "Knowing exactly how bad various types of weather have been in the past has been an integral part of preparing for the future."

Cerveny said you often hear that a storm like Hurricane Katrina, which barreled through the Bahamas before devastating the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, was the deadliest tropical cyclone/hurricane to have ever occurred.

"While Katrina was bad — more than 2,000 died — it pales in comparison to the tropical cyclone that hit the area of present-day Bangladesh in 1970, that killed an estimated 300,000 people," Cerveny said. "This type of extreme (mortality totals) provides a very useful set of baseline numbers against which future disasters can be compared."

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said this type of record-keeping is important because "extreme weather causes serious destruction and major loss of life."

At least 7 people have died in Indonesia after a period of heavy rain from 11 May caused landslides and floods in several provinces on the islands of Sulawesi, Borneo and Sumatra.

Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said that a landslide in East Luwu in South Sulawesi (Sulawesi island) on 12 May 2017 left 7 dead, several wounded and 14 houses destroyed.

A landslide in Kranggan, Setu District, South Tangerang near Jakarta on 15 May destroyed in 5 houses, damaged 26 and displaced 153 people according to Indonesia's Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

DMC also reported that around 35,000 people have been affected by floods in West Kutai regency of East Kalimantan Province on Borneo island. As of 15 May, almost 5,000 homes had been inundated.

It's early in the rainy season, but Bangkok commuters are already fighting through flooded areas of the city and more rain is on the way.

Bangkok commuters were confronted Tuesday morning and again Wednesday with flooded streets and traffic congestion across the city following hours of torrential rain overnight.

Several major streets were under water, including all of Soi Sukhumvit 33, much of Sukhumvit Soi 22 around Sainampeung School and much of Lat Phrao Road, traffic police said.

Traffic came to a virtual standstill on Pracha Chuen Road leading to Phong Phet intersection.

Motorists reported the water in Soi Ramkhamhaeng 21 came half way up their vehicles' wheels.

The water was so deep in Lat Phrao 64, it was impassable for small vehicles. Pracharat Bamphen Road leading to Ratchadaphisek-Huai Khwang intersection was also flooded, traffic police said.

Spring 2017 has produced interesting out-of-season weather conditions and in some cases new records have been set.

Below we take a look at several of these recent unusual occurrences.

1) Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season Off to Record Early Start

Tropical Storm Adrian formed May 9, setting a new record for earliest tropical cyclone formation in the northeast Pacific in the satellite era. The previous record was held by Hurricane Alma in 1990, which developed May 12 and became a named storm May 14.

Adrian formed off the coast of southern Mexico and impacts will depend on its track, which is uncertain given that Adrian is expected to be in an area of weak steering currents by this weekend.

Heavy rain, however is likely in portions of southern Mexico and the mountains of Guatemala, which could lead to flash flooding and mudslides. If Adrian stalls off the coast, then rain may persist in the region over several days, increasing the risk of flooding.

Jamaica has been hit by widespread flooding and a flash-flood warning has been issued for ten parishes, according to media reports.

However, the president of the Jamaica Association of Bermuda said it was still too early to determine the full extent of the damage.

With utilities and communications services affected, Orville Campbell urged Bermuda residents who are concerned about friends and family in Jamaica to stay abreast of developments through the news.

The flooding comes after a trough brought large amounts of rain three weeks ago. After heavy rains overnight, the Meteorological Service of Jamaica extended a flash-flood warning for low-lying and flood-prone areas of St Mary, Portland, St Thomas, Kingston, rural St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, and a flash-flood watch for low-lying and flood-prone areas of Hanover, St James, Trelawny and St Ann. These will be in effect until 5pm in Jamaica.

Mr Campbell told The Royal Gazette that Jamaica regularly experiences flooding.

But he said this was "abnormal" because of the time of year and the widespread nature of the flooding.

"I am actually in the process of getting information," said Mr Campbell, who noted that the flooding had been "very, very extensive".

Several days of heavy rain has led to flooding in parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province in South Africa. Over 100 mm of rain fell in Durban in 24 hours, 14 to 15 May, 2017.

Dozens of flood rescues have been carried out and hundreds of people have evacuated their homes. One person is feared dead after his car was swept away in a flooded river in Umzinyathi District.

Flood rescues

KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department (COGTA), which is responsible for disaster prevention and management, said that teams are intervening across the province, following the extreme weather induced by the cold front.

At least 22 people were rescued after they became trapped inside bus in flood water near Nseleni, outside Richards Bay. Swift responses by the disaster teams from King Cetshwayo municipality and uMhlathuze ensured that all passengers were rescued to safety.

Disaster management authorities in Chile say that flooding in the regions of Atacama, and Coquimbo since Friday 12 May has left 2 people dead and forced almost 3,000 to evacuate their homes. Some heavy rain has also been reported in Antofagasta and O'Higgins regions.

Coquimbo region

National Emergency Office of the Ministry of Interior And Public Security (ONEMI) said that 2 people died in an area near Monte Patria, Limarí Province, after being dragged in their vehicle by flood water.

Over 1,500 people evacuated their homes near Ovalle. ONEMI said people had to move to higher ground as levels of the Limarí River increased dramatically. A nearby reservoir also threatened to overflow.