STOCK Saudi school students
In-person classes were suspended in many cities of Saudi Arabia after forecasts of heavy rain. Image Credit: SPA

Cairo: Saudi education authorities have announced suspending in-person classes on Thursday in the port city of Jeddah, the holy city of Mecca and several other areas in the kingdom due to rain forecasts, Saudi media reported.

Online classes are to be held instead via Madrasty platform for all students in the affected areas, they added.

The National Centre of Meteorology has issued reports forecasting moderate to heavy rains in the Mecca region, which includes governorates of Mecca, Jeddah, Taif, Rabigh, Al Lith, Al Jumum, Al Kami, and Khulais.

Authorities said the decision to suspend classes were prompted by concern for everyone’s safety.

Last month, Jeddah was hit by torrential rains, which caused flash floods, prompting closure of schools, delaying flightsو hampering traffic and stranding cars, bringing back to memory massive, deadly flooding that battered the city in 2009.