November 25: On This Day in World History … briefly
Rain was unusually heavy in Mecca on November 25, as well as in nearby Mina, where many pilgrims stay in vast tent cities. The weather had improved by November26, and pilgrims had to face 'scorching heat' on the plain of Mount Arafat for the second day of the Hajj.
2009: Freak floods swamp the city of Jeddah, 122 perish
The 2009 Saudi Arabian floods affected Jeddah, on the Red Sea (western) coast of Saudi Arabia, and other areas of Makkah Province. They have been described by civil defence officials as the worst in 27 years. As of January 3, 2010, some 122 people had been reported to have been killed, and more than 350 were missing. Some roads were under a metre (3 feet) of water on November 26, and many of the victims were believed to have drowned in their cars. At least 3 000 vehicles were swept away or damaged. The death toll was expected to rise as flood waters receded, allowing rescuers to reach stranded vehicles.
More than 70mm (2.76 inches) of rain fell in Jeddah in just four hours on Wednesday, November 25. This is nearly twice the average for an entire year and the heaviest rainfall in Saudi Arabia in a decade. The flooding came just two days before the expected date of the Eid al-Adha festival and during the annual Hajj pilgrimage to nearby Mecca. Business losses were estimated at a billion riyals (US$270 million). Poorer neighbourhoods in the south of Jeddah were particularly hard hit, as was the area around King Abdulaziz University. The university was closed for vacation at the time of the floods, preventing even higher casualties.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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