Madinah Civil Defense spokesman Maj. Khaled Al-Johani said the pond was 150 square meters wide and three meters deep. Divers were able to recover the body. The reason for the drowning was being investigated.

The Civil Defense warned citizens and residents against swimming in these temporary wadi ponds due to the risk of rock slides.

Meanwhile, light to medium rains fell in various parts of Makkah province on Wednesday with heavy downpours reported in Rabigh and its surrounding villages on Tuesday.

Witnesses said Wadi Sitara, 150 km north of Jeddah along the Makkah-Madinah Expressway, was flooded.

Two children, aged 13 and 15 years, drowned in a pond formed by rainwaters in the valley, Civil Defense sources said.

Although there were no official reports about major losses, some residents told Arab News that a number of vehicles were swept away by floodwaters.

The Civil Defense, which is surveying the area looking for victims and assessing damage, warned people to keep away from the wadis.

Director of the Civil Defense Gen. Saad Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri said the Civil Defense was ready to undertake rescue operations anywhere in the Kingdom.

He added that air rescue operations are able to operate quickly, especially in regions that are inaccessible by road.