Makkah’s leaders are ready for strong rains in the next few days.
The Kingdom’s weather office has warned of torrential rains, and Saudi officials said on Tuesday that they are making plans to deal with any unusual rain situation in Makkah city.
On Monday, the National Center for Meteorology said that there would be thunderstorms, strong winds, dust, and hail showers. The weather service also said that the situation could lead to heavy rains in Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, Al-Jawf, the Northern Borders area, Hail, Najran, Jazan, Asir, Al-Qassim, and Riyadh, among other places.
The weather could make it so that you can’t see anything, the Saudi service said.
The weather service also said that the dust would be followed by strong winds at the surface, which could make it hard to see and cause high waves along the coast.
During the month of Ramadan, when a lot of pilgrims and worshippers go to the holy place, the agency also warned the officials that strange things could happen.
Since Ramadan began, more than 950,000 people have come to visit, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, the General President for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, told the Agency for Security, Safety, Confrontation of Emergencies and Risks “to prepare and implement field plans to deal with the rain,” referring to what the national weather agency had said.
More than 200 managers and observers, as well as 4,000 workers, have been hired by the General Presidency. More than 500 pieces of tools have been used to deal with the rain.
In the Grand Mosque, there are also different government departments that work together.
In his orders, Sheikh Al-Sudais also told the officials to “make the most effort and use all the available means and skills to make sure worshippers and pilgrims are safe.”
He also told them to “stay on guard and be ready for anything.” He also said to keep working with all the necessary authorities and to “intensify the efforts of the presidential agencies working in the Grand Mosque.”
The center said, “The holy capital, Jeddah, Jamoum, and Bahra, as well as open areas and highways, would be affected,” and that it would start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and last until 3 p.m.
The General Presidency also said that everything is ready for the last 10 days of Ramadan, which are the holiest because that’s when the Quran was given to the Prophet Muhammad. (PBUH).