Tuesday’s weather in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, the location of the holiest sites in Islam, was unexpected. Chaos resulted from violent storms and heavy rain, which also interfered with pilgrims’ plans.
As seen in videos that have been making the rounds online, pilgrims performing the Tawaf got caught in a downpour. Many of them were drenched, and some of them slipped on the wet floors. The renowned Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel was struck by lightning as it lit up the night sky.
Videos even appeared to show large objects flying around during the thunderstorm, frightening both tourists and locals.
Sandy chaos caused by thunderstorm downbursts in Mecca pic.twitter.com/rHBFUM9utU
— What the media hides. (@narrative_hole) August 22, 2023
Lightning striking Mecca's clock tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world. pic.twitter.com/Xo3NJbDboN
Advertisement— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) August 13, 2023
A powerful thunderstorm hit the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca ???? pic.twitter.com/6PrztRigAH
— HumanDilemma (@HumanDilemma_) August 23, 2023
The scene of Mecca Sharif pic.twitter.com/4h9bLghReo
— Abu Ammar (@AbuAmmar373) August 23, 2023
People getting swept away during sudden thunderstorm downburst in the holy Islamic city of Mecca pic.twitter.com/OfkQYKMsER
— What the media hides. (@narrative_hole) August 22, 2023
The National Center for Meteorology’s Hussain al-Qahtani reported on X (previously Twitter) that the winds reached up to 80 km/h. Al-Kakiyyah, a neighborhood in Makkah, recorded 1.8 inches of rain in one day.
Mild flooding was also seen in the footage in some areas of Makkah, forcing locals to take cover and halt traffic. The weather was comparable to the storm in 2015 that caused a crane at the Grand Mosque to collapse, killing over 100 people and injuring countless others.
This time, Saudi officials affirmed that there were no serious mishaps or accidents related to Tuesday’s weather.
Wednesday morning saw the majority of the flash floods subside. Locals believed there was still a chance for danger, though.
According to the report, Abu Mayyada, a resident of Mecca, was out purchasing cigarettes and gasoline when a sandstorm struck. He lost control of his car and, in an effort to calm himself, turned on the radio to the Qur’an.
Mohammed, a different resident, claimed that a sudden downpour at the Grand Mosque caused panic.
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