JEDDAH: School in the Riyadh and Qassim regions will remain closed on Wednesday due to inclement weather, announced the Education Ministry on Tuesday evening.

Many school were closed Tuesday in central, eastern, and northern parts of Saudi Arabia due to heavy rain storms.

In Buraidah, Qassim, traffic came to a standstill due to the heavy downpour.

The PME said there will be heavy rain and thunderstorm in the coming days in areas including Al-Jouf, the northern border, Hail, Qassim, eastern part of Riyadh, Madinah and Makkah, extending to the highlands of Asir, Baha and Jazan. Severe sandstorms are predicted in the western part of the Kingdom.

Riyadh Civil Defense spokesman Maj. Mohammed Al-Hammadi said his department would coordinate with the consortium of companies involved in the Riyadh Metro Project in case of emergency due to the rain and floods. The Civil Defense is ready to undertake any rescue operations, he said.

“Hafr Al-Batin Municipality has mobilized all its staff during the heavy rain, which lashed the province over the past few days,” an official from the municipality said, adding that 10 emergency teams have been deployed.