Saudi Arabia’s Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, has been hit by extreme weather, with entire neighborhoods partially submerged in heavy rainfall. Footage circulating on social media shows men forming human chains to rescue children trapped in the flooding in the Al-Awali neighborhood, southeast of Mecca. In another video, a man rushes to the aid of a delivery driver who was toppled off his bike by floodwaters.
Multiple cars and even a tourist bus were abandoned in the middle of a road as floodwaters gushed in unexpectedly. Trees and debris were swept away by the raging water. Several regions of the Gulf Kingdom, including Mecca and Madinah, which attract millions of pilgrims annually for Hajj, have been hit by the freak rain.
The National Meteorological Center has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and dust storms throughout the week, with multiple yellow weather warnings for rain issued in the last hour. The rare rainfall is expected to continue until Wednesday.