JEDDAH – The Presidency of Meteorology and the Environment (PME) issued a statement Friday forecasting light to medium rains accompanied by strong winds in Makkah and Madinah regions, especially in the coastal areas, from Saturday evening. Hussein Muhammad Al-Qahtani, spokesman for the PME, said the turbulent weather conditions will continue until Monday. The western, northern and northeastern regions of the Kingdom will be affected, he added. Al-Qahtani said the PME was closely watching the situation and passes relevant information to the authorities concerned for necessary followups. International weather forecasters had issued warnings about heavy rains in western Saudi Arabia on Saturday. They have said the rainy weather will extend up to northern parts of the Kingdom, including Hafr Al-Batin and Al-Khafji passing through the Qassim region but with less intensity. According to the BBC and Google Weather websites, there is a likelihood of heavy floods in the region with the precipitation reaching 300 millimeters, which is equal to the total rainfall in the Lebanese highlands in half a year. However, Al-Qahtani cautioned the public against rumors circulated by unidentified sources and asked them to monitor official weather bulletins. – SG/SPA
