A man was swept to his death by floods after torrential rain in Makkah on Tuesday, videos posted online appeared to show. Footage showed a man — reported to be from Myanmar — in a pink T-shirt standing in a safe spot on a road in the Kadi neighbourhood of the city in western Saudi Arabia, as a raging flood flowed past. He then ventured waist-deep into the water. It appeared that he was trying to reach a car that had just been washed away. The man tried to steady himself by holding on to barriers at the side of the road, but lost his footing, fell into the fast-flowing water and appeared to collide with an obstacle as he was carried away. Saudi media reported that his body was found about 13km away, in the Al Akaishiyah neighbourhood. The authorities were informed and the body of the Myanmar citizen was transferred to a mortuary, said reports. The National Centre of Meteorology announced that moderate and torrential rain, accompanied by strong winds, was expected to fall on parts of the Asir, Baha, Makkah and Madinah regions on Tuesday. It was also due to reach parts of the Qassim, Hail, Tabuk, Northern Borders and Jawf regions later that day. Schools and universities in several cities moved to <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/2023/01/03/heavy-rain-forces-return-to-remote-learning-in-saudi-arabia/" target="_blank">remote learning</a> last week, as authorities warned of heavy rain and advised residents to remain indoors. Thunderstorms were forecast for the Makkah area on Wednesday.
