A flooded street in Hafr Al-Batin after heavy rains.

Thunderstorms that started in the early hours of Tuesday morning continued for five hours in the cities of Hafr Al-Batin, Al-Qaysooma, King Khaled Military Base, Hajr Al-Dheebia and surrounding areas, causing intense flooding in some areas.

In light of the seriousness of the situation, both the Department of Education and the University of Hafr Al-Batin announced suspension of classes in all schools and colleges on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The after-effects of the rain became evident once the storm passed, with clear disruption of vehicles due to flooded streets and closed roads.

As the Hafr Al-Batin municipality appealed for water trucks to drain out water, streets in neighborhoods of Al-Faisaliah, Al-Khaldiya, Al-Aziziya and others were severely damaged, making movement through these neighborhoods extremely difficult.

Failure to drain out rainwater resulted in sidewalks, roads, and several landmarks in the city remaining inundated. Police and members of the public were seen helping stalled vehicles and dismantling road blocks.

According to Eastern Province civil defense spokesman, Col. Mansour Al-Dosari, rainfall varied from medium to heavyand resulted in 32 incidents that included leaking roofs, stalled vehicles and electrical short circuits. He said safety patrols have been deployed in all districts of the province, especially in the neighborhoods of Al-Khaldiya, Al-Faisaliah, and Al-Aziziya, to survey the damage caused by the rainfall and deal with any emergency situations.

Spokesman of the Saudi Red Crescent in the Eastern Province Fahd Al-Ghamdi said emergency teams are prepared to deal with any emergency due to heavy rains and warned all residents to avoid valleys and drive cautiously.

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