Thunder and lightning accompanied rain and flooding in Jeddah and its surrounding suburbs on Thursday, bringing back memories of devastating floods 13 years ago.
It rained heavily in Jeddah for almost six hours starting at 8 a.m., life in the city came to a halt.
Several people trapped inside submerged vehicles were rescued, but two people died.
The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) recorded 179mm of rain in Jeddah between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, which was more than the amount of rain recorded in November 2009.
Jeddah's entire governorate was affected.
In order to restore normal life in the city, the Jeddah Mayoralty is racing against time.
As major arteries and highways were inundated, flights and road traffic were disrupted for several hours. The Haramain Expressway and some other major roads were closed for several hours at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA).
After many hours of disruption, traffic on the Makkah-Jeddah Expressway has resumed in both directions.
In rainy weather, the mayoralty and NCM announced a state of alert.
There were several streets in Jeddah's residential neighborhoods that were flooded, causing many vehicles to break down.
In Jeddah, two people have died as a result of the heavy rain, according to Civil Defense spokesman Col. Muhammad Al-Qarni. Several agencies have been involved in setting up an emergency room to ensure rapid intervention.
The Jeddah Civil Defense has rescued many motorists trapped in the inundated King Abdullah Road tunnel. Due to the rain, many cars were submerged in a street in east Jeddah.
The NCM reported 60 millimeters of rain in two hours in the city.
Residents were forced to remain indoors as water levels rose steadily outside their homes while most streets remained submerged.
Twitter and Instagram users shared images and videos of extreme weather conditions and washed-away vehicles.
In anticipation of stormy weather, schools and universities were closed in Jeddah, Rabigh, and Khulais governorates on Wednesday evening.
Some flights were delayed due to weather conditions at King Abdulaziz International Airport. The airport announced on its Twitter account that certain flights have been delayed due to weather conditions, adding that it would contact airlines to confirm the new flight departure times.
In a precautionary measure, the Makkah-Jeddah Expressway was closed earlier in the day by the Emirate of Makkah Region. In the governorate, several roads and tunnels were closed, including the Haramain Road.
In response to flooding, the Jeddah Mayoralty has implemented its field plan. With the participation of about 2564 workers and employees and about 960 pieces of machinery and equipment, the mayoralty would continue its field work until the end of the rainy weather.
To date, working teams distributed across 16 branch municipalities and 13 support centers have drained water pools and removed waste from a number of locations in accordance with the approved plan for the current rainy season,” the mayorality said in a statement.
Earlier, the Civil Defense urged the public not to cross valleys during rains and to adhere to instructions announced through the media.
According to Hamza Kumi, director of the NCM's Forecast Department, light to moderate rain is expected in Jeddah until Friday morning. In several parts of the Makkah region, including Jeddah, Rabigh, Thuwal, and other coastal areas, the NCM had previously warned of moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by surface winds, hail, and low visibility.
The torrential rain and flooding on Thursday brought back memories of the devastating floods that struck Jeddah on Nov. 25, 2009. The city's worst flooding in 27 years resulted in 122 deaths and some 3,000 vehicles being swept away or damaged.
