Umrah pilgrims to Mecca faced thunderstorms and flooding on Friday as Jeddah braced for heavy rain.

Iran PressMiddle East: Videos on social media showed downpours flooding buildings in Mecca and washing away cars in Saudi Arabia's holiest city.

The Saudi Press Agency said medium to heavy rain and winds might limit visibility, and torrential rain may fall in parts of the Mecca, Medina, and Tabuk areas.

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) issued a weather warning in Mecca on Friday. It will remain active until 9 pm.

The crisis and disaster management center in the holy city warned residents not to leave their homes unless necessary.

“People must take care and not approach the sites where rainwater accumulates to ensure their safety,” it said.

Meanwhile, NCM raised the rain alert level in Jeddah to a warning.

Rain fell in separate parts of the Jeddah governorate as cumulus clouds covered the sky over the coastal city.

Authorities in Jeddah said heavy rain was expected on Friday and asked residents to stay at home.

On Thursday, they prepared equipment and manpower to deal with any weather emergencies at the weekend.

The Jeddah municipality said 3,822 employees and 1,490 pieces of equipment were in place to deal with any problems caused by the rain.

The work teams were distributed across 16 sub-municipalities and 13 support centers.

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