Watch: Fierce rainstorm lashes the holy city of Makkah

A fierce rainstorm lashed the holy city of Makkah on Tuesday night.

The startling images of residents and pilgrims struggling against the heavy winds and rain are now doing rounds on social media.

As reported, the fierce storms led to the closing of schools Wednesday in Saudi Arabia’s Makkah region

Luckily, no casualties were reported in Tuesday’s storm.

The storm brought gale-force winds exceeding 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour, Hussein al-Qahtani, spokesman for the National Centre for Meteorology, told AFP.

The conditions were similar to a 2015 storm that felled a crane at the Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 people and injuring hundreds more, he added.

As reported, the flash flooding had mostly dissipated by Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, the Mekkah’s neighborhood of Al-Kakkiyah recorded 45 millimeters (1.8 inches) of rain within 24 hours, the meteorology center shared in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Social media was soon laden with the visuals captured during the rainstorm.

One breathtaking view was caught on camera as lightning struck the Makkah Tower on Wednesday evening during a rainstorm.

Check out the videos shared on X, the former Twitter.

#VIDEO: Thunderstorms and heavy rains hit #Makkah pic.twitter.com/TO6OIlEZ5j

— Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) August 22, 2023

Some lightning strikes that hit the clock tower in Makkah Al-Mukarramah Yesterday evening 🕋🌩️.. #Makkah #MakkahClockTower #lightningstrike pic.twitter.com/2LUDD7TJlA

— Saudi-Expatriates.com (@saudiexpat) August 23, 2023

Now: Heavy rain in Masjid Al Haram, #Makkah ⛈️ pic.twitter.com/hzjAzUod4T

— People Of Saudi Arabia (@pplofKSA) August 22, 2023

Spectacular view of the clock tower during the thunderstorms in Makkah Mukarramah today. #HaramainInfo pic.twitter.com/aPxuaX7nnX

— 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@HaramainInfo) August 22, 2023

📹 #Makkah et ses alentours cette nuit.. https://t.co/vBu4bvQSiK pic.twitter.com/9EUjqs84PH

— Saudi News FR  (@SaudiNewsFR) August 22, 2023