By Irfan Mohammed

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Intermittent light to moderate rain disrupted normal life in several parts of Jeddah city and other parts of the Western region on Thursday as the unstable weather pattern continued in many parts of the Kingdom.

The General Authority of Meteorology and Environment Protection predicted lower depression and moderate to heavy rains in western region.

Jeddah experienced moderate showers in morning hours, though there was a let up later with the skies by noon clearing up with sun shine. The downpour in the morning hours inundated some of the roads in the city. The low level areas in southern and eastern parts of the city were water logged.

The Harmain Highway, the busiest road in the city, witnessed slow traffic in morning hours. The Jeddah Islamic Port had suspended navigation in the seaport due to adverse weather conditions for some time before it restored normal operations.

There was confusion in morning hours as some parents dropped their children at schools and while others rushed to pick them after showers intensified. Many of employees skipped offices in morning hours, while some of them were forced to return home midway after an increase in showers.

Those who had attended the offices also left earlier to avoid commuting problems later in the day in case rain increases.

Many of Saudi employees who live in Khulais, Kamil and Afsan faced difficulties in reaching offices.

Jeddah Municipality has announced that it is equipped to deal with wet conditions in the city with proper action plan. It has pressed 1,700 personnel, who work in two shifts. It also kept ready 837 equipment that enable to extract stagnate water from the city roads, said in a statement.

The Road Safety Patrolling Forces have urged motorists to be cautious while driving to holy cities.

Capt. Naif Al Sharif, spokesperson of Civil Defense in Makkah, said in a statement that two youth were killed in flood water in Wadi Omer in Makkah on Thursday.

Normal life was impacted in the holy city of Madinah as education institutions remained closed on Thursday and several link roads were cut off in villages bordering valleys in the province.