Heavy rain recorded in Saudi Arabia forces flight delays, closes schools; 2 dead, several rescued in Jeddah

RIYADH: Heavy rains in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on Thursday delayed flights, forced school suspensions and closed the road to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, state media reported. Traffic on the Makkah-Jeddah Expressway in both directions was restored later in the evening.

Videos being shared on social media show vehicles being swept away in the flashfloods caused by the heavy downpour.

Jeddah, a city of roughly four million people positioned on the Red Sea, is often referred to as the “gateway to Mecca”, where millions perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages each year.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said the amount of rain recorded in Jeddah from 8am to 2pm Thursday exceeded the amount recorded in 2009, reaching 179mm in six hours.