Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Education Department in Jeddah announced suspension of classes in schools in the governorates of Jeddah, Rabigh and Khulais in the Makkah region on Wednesday amid the issuance of red alert and forecast of torrential rain and hail hitting these governorates from midnight of Tuesday.

The exams, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, have been postponed. The attendance of male and female employees of schools and education offices in these governorates has also been suspended, the department said while notifying that Wednesday’s exams shall be conducted along with the exams of Thursday.

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) announced earlier that it had raised the weather warning level in the Makkah city, Jeddah and five other governorates in the Makkah region to red alert, starting from 12:00 am tonight until 1:00 pm on Wednesday. These governorates include Rabigh, Khulais, Al-Kamil, Al-Jamoum, and Bahra.

According to the NCM forecast, heavy rains, accompanied by high-speed winds, lack of horizontal visibility, hail, torrential flows and thunderclaps, are expected to hit these governorates. The center said in a statement that the weather fluctuations are expected to continue in most regions of Saudi Arabia until Thursday.