At least two people have been confirmed dead following heavy flooding that hit western Saudi Arabia, including the coastal city of Jeddah, delaying flights and forcing schools to close on Thursday.
The Saudi civil defence spokesperson in the Mecca province who announced the deaths on Twitter, urged residents to remain indoors unless for urgent needs.
A city of roughly four million people located close to the Red Sea, Jeddah is often referred to as the “gateway to Mecca”, where millions perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages each year.
Almost every year, Winter rainstorms and flooding occur in the city, where residents have long decried poor infrastructure. Recall that floods killed 123 people in the city in 2009.
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Also In November 2017, Jeddah police received 11,000 calls in one morning following heavy downpours in the city.
According to reports, the floods have also caused flight delays at King Abdulaziz International Airport, and school closures and blocked the road to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.
Management of 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.
Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology announced that the rainfall in Jeddah’s southern area between 8 am and 2 pm on Thursday, which stood at 179 millimetres, was the “highest” ever recorded as it exceeded the amount of rainfall registered in 2009 when dozens of people died in flash floods.
Images of the flood posted to social media on Thursday showed cars being swept along streets through raging torrents of water.
Although the kingdom’s schools are in the middle of final exams, they had been closed nationwide on Wednesday after King Salman declared a holiday following Saudi Arabia’s shock victory over Argentina in the World Cup.
Story was adapted from Middle East Eye.
