MAKKAH – A man was killed as the holy city of Makkah witnessed a severe thunderstorm on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mina Elementary School teacher Mohammed Al-Twaim died while attempting to escape from his car when it submerged in floodwater.
Lightning struck the famous Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel, lighting up the night sky as pilgrims attempted to round the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque.
Lightning striking the Clock Tower in Makkah pic.twitter.com/FSj6dQtmnp
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Hussein Al-Qahtani, a spokesperson for the National Centre for Meteorology, reported that the storm produced 45 mm of rain in under 24 hours and gale-force gusts of more than 80 kmph.
The wind knocked down pilgrims outside the mosque, sending crowd barriers tumbling over the wet ground. Mohammed, a native of Makkah, described the situation as “very frightening” as he was shopping for grocery during the storm’s peak. “When the crazy rain started, everything happened within a few minutes.”
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Another local, Abu Mayyada, claimed that when the worst of the storm struck, “everything went black in front of me” as he walked out to purchase cigarettes and gas. “I abruptly lost control of the car. I turned on the radio and began listening to Qur’an since I was unable to see anything. I was unable to comprehend what was occurring.
Schools will stay closed, according to the Makkah governorate, and courses will be delivered online “in the interest of everyone’s safety.”
The Makkah area and other parts of western Saudi Arabia might experience further storms, the meteorological centre said.
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