Heavy rain triggers traffic snarls in Riyadh

RIYADH: Rainfall in Riyadh continued on Thursday, with heavy downpours throwing traffic out of gear in many parts of the city, and substantially bringing down the temperature.
Huge traffic snarls were seen on the Khurais Road and King Fahad Road. The presence of traffic police at strategic points helped in streamlining the traffic, which moved slowly but steadily.
The continued inclement weather also saw a cold spell return to the capital region.
From the relatively warm weather during the week, the minimum temperature plummeted to single digits at the weekend and early this week.
The Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) had forecast clouds and thunderstorms with moderate to heavy rain on Thursday, leading to substantial drop in the mercury level yet again.
The Civil Defense department cautioned city dwellers to exercise restraint while driving and take maximum precautions against the inclement weather conditions.
It further urged residents to avoid going to valleys and low-lying areas facing flash floods.