2023-08-24 02:11:00
A violent storm accompanied by torrential rains and strong winds hit the holy region of Mecca in western Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening, causing property damage and scenes of panic.
Images posted on social media showed the magnitude of the storm and rainy winds, which surprised pilgrims in the Al Haram Mosque and caused a state of panic.
The Saudi Civil Defense raised the alert level to red and called on citizens to stay away from rivers, valleys and dams out of fear for their safety.
Schools in Mecca closed their doors on Wednesday, due to strong winds and heavy rains that have been battering the holy city for several hours since Tuesday evening.
The wind speed exceeded 80 kilometers per hour, said National Meteorological Center spokesman Hussein Al-Qahtani.
He pointed out that this force is similar to the storm that caused a crane to fall into Al Haram Mosque in 2015, an accident that killed more than 100 people and injured dozens.
The National Meteorological Center said on its account on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter) – that the residential area of Al-Kaakiyah, south of Makkah, recorded 45 mm of rain per hour.
Video footage documented some of the damage caused by the storm and high winds, which caused billboards to fall and damage to cars and public property.
On Wednesday, the Meteorological Center warned of further storms in the Emirate of Makkah and western parts of the Kingdom.
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