JEDDAH — The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) warned of torrential rain and surface winds to hit the governorates of Jeddah and Rabigh, especially the coastal areas, on Wednesday. Moderate to heavy rains, accompanied by activity in surface winds, hail, and torrential rains will hit the entire governorate as well as its open areas and highways, the center said in its weather forecast. There will also be a lack of visibility and the situation will continue until 10.00 in the morning. The NCM issued a high-level warning of thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain in the Rabigh governorate also. The rain will continue until 12.00 pm. The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defense and the Directorate of Civil Defense in the Makkah region called on the public to take utmost vigil and caution during rain. It also warned against approaching water swamps, staying away from places where torrents gather, and not to risk crossing valleys during rain. The torrential downpour that struck Jeddah last Thursday was the highest-ever recorded rainfall in the coastal city. The rain lasted for about eight hours – from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – and amounted to 179.7 millimeters of water, according to NCM's monitoring stations. Two people died in the flooding that brought back the shocking memories of devastating floods that struck the city exactly 13 years ago. Several people trapped inside submerged vehicles were rescued. Swimmers from Jeddah Civil Defense rescued many motorists trapped in the inundated King Abdullah Road tunnel. Flights and road traffic were disrupted for several hours as major arteries and highways were inundated. Several streets in Jeddah's residential neighborhoods were flooded, causing the breakdown of many vehicles.
