JAKARTA - Three hours of heavy rain caused flooding in several provinces in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, April 27 yesterday. A number of other locations experienced hail.
Heavy rain also affected Umrah pilgrims at the Grand Mosque, Mecca, so they performed tawaf while holding umbrellas. However, this did not reduce the enthusiasm of the congregation to perform tawaf.
Video shared from Mecca also shows cars submerged as water flows down a heavily flooded road.
The Saudi Arabian National Meteorological Center warned that rainfall could continue until Sunday May 2 in several provinces in southern Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.
Last Friday, the authorities issued a warning of potential heavy rain and thunderstorms in Makkah, Medina, Al Baha, Jazan, Najran with possible flooding in the Eastern Provinces, Riyadh and Qassim as well as light rain in Jawf, Tabuk and the Northern Border.
Meanwhile, Civil Defense warned people to stay away from places that could flood.
However, heavy rains followed by floods that had submerged Mecca, were greeted by residents of Saudi Arabia with joy. Young Saudis are taking the opportunity to show the country in a different light.
"I want the world to see how beautiful Saudi Arabia is, even during the summer," Areej Hasan, from Abha in the southwest of the country, told The National News.
“Abha's picturesque streets are decorated with purple flowers from the jacaranda trees and it is a rare sight to see them soaking wet in the rain. My family and I decided to put on our masks and walk around enjoying the beautiful weather, "he said.
Ayesha Rashid, who is performing the Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah, said she felt blessed to be one of the few people to perform Umrah this year, after coronavirus restrictions limited the number of pilgrims.
"The feeling is unbelievable. We didn't expect this. Suddenly I felt raindrops and then people rejoiced around me as it started to rain on the Grand Mosque. It was as if all our prayers had been answered. Rain in Islam signifies mercy and we are blessed to have the opportunity to be here in the holy month of Ramadan, "he said.
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