Riyadh Flood (Photo : Expat-blog.com)
Parts of Middle East were flooded on Wednesday because of the seasonal storms that poured a year's worth of rainfall.
The Associated Press reports that the rains flooded parts of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Hit hard by the floods were their capitals, Doha and Riyadh, respectively.
The Qatar Meteorology Department estimates 79.5 millimeters, or 3.13 inches, of rain fell at the Hamad International Airport in Doha. The yearly rainfall average of Qatar is only 50 millimeters, or 1.97 inches.
Gulf Times reports that in other parts of Qatar, 31.8 mm of rain was recorded at Abu Hamour, 26.4 mm at Abu Samra, 17.8 mm at Mesaieed, 17.6 mm at Qatar University and 16.9 mm at the Doha Airport.
The unexpected deluge of water caused flooding of streets, forcing stores and malls in the capital city to shut down. Some schools and daycare centers also closed because of the inundation. The storm cooled the city as the temperature went down to 24 degrees Celsius, or 75.2 degrees Fahrenheit, at 4 p.m.
Buraydah, a city in Saudi Arabia located about 320 kilometers, or 200 miles, northwest of capital city Riyadh, experienced heavy rains and flooding, reports Saudi Press Agency. Civil defense authorities had to rescue residents by boats as the flood covered roads and vehicles.
Another Middle East country, the United Arab Emirates, logged a 22 degrees Celsius, or 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit, temperature at Dubai's iconic landmark, the Burj Khalifa, at 4 p.m.
