Hail and heavy rain lash Saudi Arabia, videos show severe weather

Dubai: Saudi Arabia is experiencing a period of severe weather, with social media channels like storm_ae sharing a flurry of videos on August 12, Tuesday evening. The footage, capturing the unusual conditions, shows heavy rain and hail pounding down in various regions, including the city of Taif, where residents are also noting a significant drop in temperature.

This extreme weather event has led to scenes more typical of winter than summer, with hail blanketing the ground and causing localised flooding. Saudi Arabia’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has been actively monitoring the situation. It has issued alerts and warnings for thunderstorms, strong winds, and flash flooding, particularly in the southwestern regions of the country.

The videos shared online show the impact of the storms, with floodwaters rushing through streets and hail covering the landscape. The NCM's warnings urge residents to exercise caution, especially when driving on wet roads and to stay away from valleys and low-lying areas that are prone to flash floods.