Heavy rains force school closure in Riyadh, Medina

RIYADH: Authorities in Saudi Arabia shuttered schools in several regions on Wednesday as flash floods inundated roads, the latest instance of heavy rains disrupting life in the Gulf region.

Agence France-Presse Television (AFPTV) footage showed partially submerged cars struggling to drive through standing water in the central Qassim region, one of the areas hit hardest overnight. “The rain continued for seven hours from the afternoon until near midnight in very large quantities,” said Mohammed, an Egyptian resident of Qassim’s capital Buraidah, who spoke to AFP on the condition that only his first name be used. “Water accumulated to a height of more than 10 centimeters (4 inches) in front of the residence and prevented us from going out to the street. The sound of thunder was loud, and lightning was illuminating the city,” he said.

The kingdom’s national meteorological center issued red alerts for Qassim and other areas, including Eastern Province, western Medina province and the capital Riyadh. It warned of “heavy rain with strong wind, lack of horizontal visibility, hail, torrential rains and thunderbolts.” Schools in Eastern Province and Riyadh also canceled in-person classes and moved them online.

Medina’s education department posted on X, formerly Twitter, pictures of maintenance workers repairing electricity and air-conditioning units and removing standing water from schools.