The Saudi National Center for Meteorology raised the alert level to red today, Thursday, in the Makkah region, expecting heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning and flash floods.

The center clarified that the alert period in Makkah starts at 2 PM today until 9 PM, including Al-Jumum and the Holy Capital.

The meteorology expected that during this period, heavy rains will fall, including accompanying effects of high-speed winds, reduced visibility, hail, flash floods, and thunder and lightning.

The meteorology said that the weather today in Saudi Arabia is prepared for moderate to heavy thunderstorm rains leading to flash floods accompanied by active winds and hail showers in parts of Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Hail, Qassim, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province.

It also followed that thunderstorm rains accompanied by active winds fall on parts of Tabuk, Al-Jouf, and the Northern Borders regions, and fog formation is not excluded in parts of these areas, with surface wind movement from northwest to southwest at speeds of 15-35 km/h in the northern part and east to northeast at speeds of 10-30 km/h reaching more than 50 km/h with the formation of rainy thunderclouds. Wave heights range from half a meter to one and a half meters, reaching more than two meters with the formation of rainy thunderclouds, with a state of light to medium waves becoming rough with the formation of rainy thunderclouds.

It added that surface winds over the Red Sea are northwest to west at speeds of 15-40 km/h over the northern and middle parts, and southwest to southeast at speeds of 15-45 km/h over the southern part, with wind speeds reaching more than 60 km/h with the formation of rainy thunderclouds, and wave heights from one meter to two meters, reaching more than two and a half meters with the formation of rainy thunderclouds, with a state of medium to rough waves with the formation of rainy thunderclouds.