RIYADH, 27 February 2005 — Heavy rains that lashed the capital on Friday flooded roads causing traffic chaos. The flooded roads and stranded vehicles crippled the flow of traffic to the ongoing Janadriya cultural festival. The drive to Janadriya took nearly three hours instead of the normal 45 minutes from the city. Some motorists took sandy byroads to avoid getting caught in the traffic.
The underpass of Exit 12 on the airport highway and the main road to Al-Kharj near the Industrial zone were under water and traffic police guided motorists to take a diversion.
But the rains helped fill the dams in Al-Kharj, Sharg, Majma, Zulfi, Muzamiyah, Do-Admi, Maradh and Diraiyah. The downpour also helped refresh the vegetation and grasslands in the Central Province.
“The rains have brought pleasant tidings for the spring,” Secretary-General of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development Abdul Aziz Abu Zinada said.
He called on picnickers not to spoil the plant cover and the green grass along the water courses because these places form the ideal habitat for local and migratory birds.
“The rains will not only help produce more underground water necessary for irrigation and cultivation, but will also boost natural vegetation,” said Faiz Al-Ziyadi of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The rains also triggered a locust swarm in Riyadh, the second in almost a decade.
