{
  "id": 15224897,
  "title": "Civil Defense urges caution as thunderstorms to continue across most Saudi regions through Wednesday",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/civil-defense-urges-caution-as-thunderstorms-to-continue-across-most",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T15:22:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Saudi Gazette",
    "slug": "saudi-gazette",
    "url": "https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/665490/saudi-arabia/civil-defense-urges-caution-as-thunderstorms-to-continue-across-most-saudi-regions-through-wednesday"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The General Directorate of Civil Defense in Riyadh has advised the public to remain vigilant and seek refuge in safe locations as thunderstorms are expected to persist across a majority of Saudi Arabian regions until Wednesday. Residents are urged to avoid valleys and flood-prone areas, refrain from swimming in them, and adhere to instructions disseminated through various media channels and social platforms.\n\nAccording to forecasts from the National Center for Meteorology (NCM), areas such as Makkah, Jazan, Asir, and Al-Baha can anticipate moderate to heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash floods, hail, and dust/sand storms. Conversely, Madinah, Hail, Al-Jouf, and the Northern Borders regions are expected to see light to moderate rainfall.\n\nOn Saturday, the NCM warned of moderate rainfall in Makkah and the Al-Joumoum governorate, accompanied by strong winds, near-zero visibility, hail, flash floods, and thunderstorms with lightning. The NCM stated that these weather conditions are anticipated to continue until 9:00 p.m.",
  "summary": "RIYADH — The General Directorate of Civil Defense urged the public to exercise caution and stay in safe places amid forecasts of thunderstorms to continue across most regions of the Kingdom through Wednesday. It called on people to keep away from valleys and flood-prone areas, refrain from swimming in them, and follow instructions issued through the media and social media platforms.According to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}