Extreme storms and rain in Mecca, home to Islam's holiest sites, have affected pilgrims, shut down schools, and created chaos.
Online videos on Tuesday showed pilgrims circling the Kaaba getting soaked and slipping on the floor as heavy rains thrashed and carried objects.
Another video showed a bolt of lightning striking the iconic Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel as the rare scenes unfolded at the giant black cube towards which all Muslims pray.
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, reported that the storm brought gale-force winds exceeding 80 kilometers per hour, according to National Center for Meteorology spokesman Hussain al-Qahtani.
The Mecca neighborhood of al-Kakiyyah recorded 45 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, according to al-Qahtani.
In some neighbourhoods of Mecca, mild flooding also forced citizens to take shelter and stop their cars, according to videos online.
