Riyadh: Heavy snow and hailstorm hit the Saudi city of Taif, on Wednesday, disrupting traffic on the road between Taif province and the town of Hawiyah in Makkah region.
Some motorists stopped to capture what is rare for spring in the Kingdom, with many videos and photos posted on social media platforms.
With the accumulation of hailstones and snow in the streets and sidewalks, the Taif Municipality crews used bulldozers to clean the roads and neighborhoods in record time.
More than 90 teams of municipal workers removed snow and ice to restore traffic flow, as part of its handling of the heavy rains in Taif and its suburbs. High winds, hail and heavy rain combined to reduce visibility for drivers.
Taif Municipality published on Twitter pictures of the hail removal process.
Heavy rains fell across the Kingdom this week, as the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) issued several warnings of thunderstorms in the Makkah region.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance directed that Eid Al-Fitr prayers be performed in mosques, and not in external chapels in the governorates and cities where rain is expected.
The ministry’s directives came due to the expected rainfall in most regions of the Kingdom on the day of Eid Al-Fitr.
