Schools off in rain-hit Riyadh

RIYADH: Heavy rain lashed several parts of the capital on Tuesday evening, resulting in traffic jams and motorists and pedestrians getting trapped in flooded streets, even as the Met department issued a warning about more rain in the city over the next two days.
According to the Education Department, all schools in Riyadh region will remain closed on Wednesday.
Madinah, Makkah, Eastern Province, Baha, Asir, Najran and Jazan are expected to receive downpour with a significant decrease in temperature on Wednesday, the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) said.
Districts such as Rowaida, Muzzamiyah and Faisaliah in Riyadh were particularly hit hard.
The Civil Defense rescued 26 people and pulled out 56 vehicles trapped in the floods.
Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar held an emergency meeting with relevant agencies to discuss the PME warning. He instructed the officials to be ready for any emergencies and urged citizens and residents to be cautious.
Seyed Hamid Moulana, a business executive, told Arab News that the 60-minute downpour hit hard a part of the Faisaliah district, which crippled all business activities in addition to flooding many warehouses.
“The damage caused to the important business hub is immense. The roads remains impassable and many workers are stuck in their workplaces.”