Watch moment cars are swept away & roads become raging rivers as floods swamp Saudi Arabia as storms batter Dubai
SAUDI Arabia is the latest victim of the torrential rainfall being felt in parts of the Middle East after storms once again batter a drowned Dubai.
Cars have been swept away in the Saudi deluge as roads are quickly transforming into raging rivers as the country was plunged into soaking wet misery this week.
Several major highways in the Kingdom have been devastated by floodwater with shocking footage showing pop-up waterfalls pouring off the side of pathways.
Locals left their motors abandoned in the streets as they ran for safety from the rushing water.
Qassim was one of the worst affected areas leaving residents forced to wade through water up to their knees.
Some were even forced to stay inside as the water was building up at such a dramatic rate.
The flash floods first came in on Monday and left many northern parts of the Kingdom swamped for days.
Crazy videos highlight the nightmare as brown, murky water was seen crashing along neighbouring roads and turning usually packed streets into a deadly pit of water.
Thunder and lightening could also be heard throughout Saudi Arabia with one citizen telling AFP it “was illuminating the city”.
Electrical units were also reportedly being busted, including lights and air-conditioning, across the region.
Saudi Arabia’s national meteorological centre put out an urgent red notice earlier this week warning people of the weather about to strike.
Alerts were sent out to Qassim and also the country’s capital of Riyadh saying the floods could last for most of the week.
Experts told people to expect “heavy rain with strong wind, a lack of horizontal visibility, hail, torrential rains, and thunderbolts”.
Schools were shut down in the Eastern Province and the capital as many workers were moved online due to the flood risks.
Authorities are thought to be assessing the damage.
A REPEATING NIGHTMARE
Horrid weather has also been tormenting the glitzy city of Dubai again this week.
On April 14 and 15, Dubai suffered its heaviest rainfall in more than 70 years, sparking what was branded “biblical” flooding.
A year’s worth of rain poured in just 24 hours, with the city woefully unprepared and stuck in its tracks for days.
An airport was left submerged underwater, roads at a standstill and homes and businesses filled up with water.
It was feared the destructive deluge could end up costing Dubai up to $1billion to clean up the damage.
But overnight, rain hit once again after just two weeks of sunshine.
Authorities were forced into issuing an emergency public safety alert – warning residents to stay safe as storms sweep across.
Cops have urged residents to “avoid beaches, refrain from sailing and stay clear of valleys” in its latest alert issued on Wednesday evening.
Unstable weather conditions are forecasted for the rest of Thursday and Friday as authorities take action to stop the rain wreaking havoc all over again.
Horrified residents were woken up today by strong winds and rain in the early hours, as well as lightening.
Brit expat Tom Evans, from Stoke, told The Sun: “It’s not as bad as April’s carnage but Dubai and Abu Dhabi have both pretty much ground to a halt.”
Motorists have been warned to avoid driving “unless absolutely necessary”.
An alert from the service reads: “If necessary, drive with caution and remain vigilant and alert to ensure safety of all road users.”
Specialised teams have been deployed to quickly tackle big accumulations of rainwater and keep drivers safe.
Some flights have already been cancelled because of bad weather across the United Arab Emirates.
At least nine arrivals and four outbound flights from Dubai International Airport were cancelled overnight, while five inbound plans were diverted.
Meanwhile, several flights have been ditched by Emirates.
A spokesman said: “Customers arriving or departing from Dubai airport on May 2 can expect some delays as flights are rescheduled.”
What caused the heavy rain in Dubai?
A DELUGE of rain flooded Dubai in April, leaving at least one person dead and causing major disruption at the world's busiest airfield.
The true cause of the heavy rain is not yet known, but some have theorised it may have been the result of cloud seeding.
Cloud-seeding is carried out in the UAE to increase the desert nation’s dwindling and limited groundwater supply, according to AP.
The weather modification technique involves small planes flying through clouds while burning special salt flares that can increase precipitation.
Meteorologists at the National Centre for Meteorology said they flew six or seven cloud-seeding flights before the rains commenced, according to reports.
And flight-tracking data analysed by the AP reportedly showed that one aircraft affiliated with the UAE’s cloud-seeding efforts flew around the country on Sunday.
A lack of drainage on roads and in other areas of the UAE – due to the irregularity of rain – is believed to have worsened the flooding.