Dubai-Style Floods Hit Saudi Arabian Provinces, Heavy Rain Hits Madinah

(CTN News) – Floods and heavy rain have hit northern parts of Saudi Arabia over the last few days, causing roads to close and schools to cancel in-person attendance amid travel warnings issued by the country’s meteorological authorities in the wake of the flooding.

Various outlets including the Sky News and other social media outlets have uploaded footage showing flash floods that occurred on Monday in Al-Ula and Al-Madinah provinces, the latter of which is home to Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi, Islam’s second holiest site and where the Prophet Muhammad is buried.

On social media, footage was shared showing heavy rain near the mosque, which was captured on camera.

The news follows days of flash floods that hit the UAE and Oman near the border in the southeast, both rare events this time of year that have been partially attributed to climate change.

Two people died as a result of coastal flooding that occurred in November 2022 in Saudi Arabia as a result of heavy rains, with the city of Jeddah being particularly hard hit by the flooding.

There has been a recurrence of floods in Jeddah, which can be attributed to a lack of rain drainage systems in the area.

In many Gulf nations, cities were built without adequate storm drainage systems during the 20th century, due to the fact that urban planners in that period had no way of anticipating the dramatic changes that would take place in the usually arid terrain of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Saudi government is reportedly assessing the situation in the affected areas at the present time, in accordance with reports in the Saudi media.

Residents are urged to exercise caution and stay away from waterways and valleys, according to the Civil Defense Directorate. On rural roads, the Ministry of Transport advises that drivers should be especially vigilant while crossing or entering these areas.

Earlier on Monday, the Saudi National Center for Meteorology (NCM) issued a red alert for the Al-Madinah region of Saudi Arabia, predicting heavy rain and thunderstorms in the area. From 12 noon until 11 pm, Al-Ula was specifically covered by the alert.

There is a chance of heavy rainfall throughout this period, along with strong winds, reduced visibility, hail storms, and the possibility of flash floods, as predicted by the NCM.

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