Heavy rains hit the Jizan Region on Sunday as officials disagreed with a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report that there will be “unprecedented floods” Monday and later in the week in the Jizan and Asir regions and in the southern parts of the Red Sea coastal area. The floods will reach their peak on Wednesday and Thursday, the BBC said. The Presidency of Meteorology and the Environment (PME), which predicted that a tropical condition would cause medium-to-heavy rainfall in the region over the next few days, said the rain would not cause the flooding predicted in the BBC report. There will be cumulus rain-bearing thunderclouds over the mountains located east of Jizan Region and they will move in the evenings from east to west, the organization said in an announcement on its website. It expects rains to continue in large parts of Jizan region, extending to central and eastern areas in the afternoons until the early evenings. On Sunday, rain in the Jizan region caused problems in several areas. Storms isolated Samta villages, Al-Qufl sector and other parts of the region. Rains inundated houses in the villages of Shi'b Dahmi and Souq Al-Lail, where residents are still isolated after the collapse of the only bridge to the communities. Fast-flowing floods in Al-Halaga village swept away the only road leading to the village and stranded residents who were trying to return to their homes. The Civil Defense warned the residents of Jizan to stay away from valleys and called on them to keep away from high, open places to avoid being struck by lightning. The PME noted that Jizan city witnessed severe thunderstorms in August 1991, when winds exceeded 200 kilometers. The storm, which only lasted for five minutes, caused a loss of life and property. The Presidency of Meteorology and the Environment (PME) said the General Administration for Analyses and Forecasts monitors weather conditions around-the-clock and issues prompt warnings if necessary. It called on everyone in the region to take all precautionary measures.
