On Wednesday, Saudi Arabian authorities closed schools in multiple regions due to flash floods that overwhelmed roads, marking another instance of heavy rains disrupting life in the desert Gulf.
AFPTV footage captured cars in Qassim, one of the hardest-hit areas overnight, struggling through high water levels. Mohammed, an Egyptian living in Qassim’s capital, Buraidah, described the deluge. “Rain poured for seven hours, from afternoon to nearly midnight, amassing more than 10 centimetres of water outside our homes, making street access impossible. Thunder roared and lightning lit up the city,” he shared with AFP, requesting anonymity.
The National Meteorological Centre issued red alerts for several areas, including Qassim, the eastern Gulf province, Riyadh, and the Medina province near the Red Sea. The warnings forecast severe weather conditions, including heavy rain, strong winds, reduced visibility, hail, and frequent lightning.
In response, schools in the eastern province and Riyadh shifted to online classes. The Medina education department showed maintenance workers on social media, managing electrical and air-conditioning repairs and clearing water from school premises.
Although Riyadh experienced some waterlogging, it caused minimal traffic disruption. Rainstorms and subsequent flooding, common in winter, often challenge Saudi Arabia’s urban drainage systems, particularly in densely populated cities like Jeddah on the Red Sea coast, where poor infrastructure has historically led to significant flood damage.
A recent study attributes these extreme weather conditions to global warming from fossil fuel emissions, suggesting a likely exacerbation of the situation.
