Rains Lash Riyadh, EP, Qassim; More on Way
RIYADH: An unidentified person died in the Rimah province of the Riyadh region and 25 people were injured in road accidents in the capital on Wednesday as rain continued to lash the city.
The Civil Defense in Riyadh rescued 85 people from flooded areas and removed 72 vehicles from deluged streets and low-lying areas with their occupants unharmed.
In Qassim, which received 77 mm rainfall, around 1,000 people were rescued and 349 were given shelter and food. The Civil Defense office was flooded with over 3,000 phone calls seeking help.
Schools were shut in Riyadh and Qassim on Wednesday. The Education Ministry announced that schools will remain closed in Qassim and Al-Kharj on Thursday.
However, schools in the capital will function.
The Eastern Province too received a downpour. Abdulaziz Al-Safiyan, the spokesman of the Dammam Municipality, said workers from its 33 rain-disposal stations drained out 420,000 cubic meters of water from roads and tunnels. “We have kept electric generators ready to attend to emergencies in case of power failures,” he said.
The Presidency of Meteorology and Environment has forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms accompanied by cold winds in Riyadh, Qassim, Hail and Madinah, extending to Makkah, Baha, Asir and Jazan on Thursday. It also forecast fog in the northern parts of the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, a year’s worth of rain deluged parts of Qatar on Wednesday.
The rainwater flooded streets and shut down some stores and malls in Doha. Local media reported some schools and daycare centers closed early because of the downpour. At 4 p.m., the temperature was a cool 24C.
Rains made many roads near impassable for commuters amid reports on social media that even Doha’s Hamad International Airport was affected, due to leaks at the estimated $17 billion building, which opened last year. The heaviest rain — 66 mm — fell around the airport but flights were operating normally.
In Dubai, clouds darkened the skies and rain fell across parts of the city and elsewhere in the UAE. At Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the mercury dipped to 22 C at 4 p.m.