Makkah, Nov. 12 -- Heavy rain lashed parts of the Makkah region, particularly its southern areas, on Wednesday, November 12, flooding roads and disrupting local traffic. However, central Makkah, including the area surrounding the Grand Mosque, experienced only strong winds and cloudy skies without rainfall.

The National Centre for Meteorology (NCM) issued a red alert for parts of the region, warning of torrential rain, hail and flash floods until late evening.

Videos shared online showed vehicles wading through waterlogged roads in southern Makkah, where districts such as Difa'q witnessed severe storms for the second straight day.

Rain-seeking prayers

Amid the downpours, authorities announced that rain-seeking (Istisqa) prayers will b...