Unexpected downpour throws lives out of gear

The unexpected rains in the Kingdom yesterday soaked the festivity moods of people on a Christmas Day. Heavy rains also made driving difficult on slippery roads. The General Directorate of Traffic called upon all the road users to be cautious. 

“The roads are slippery and it’s very difficult to see the roads and the signals, due to the water which sprays from the traffic in front of us,” said Manager of a rent a car, Rajesh Kumar.

Friday’s bulletin of Meteorological Directorate at the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications also indicated that north-westerly winds would range from 15 to 20 knots, reaching 20 to 25 knots.

The busy Central Market looked dirty with water seeping into the stalls and vegetables during the busy early morning hours.

Fruits could be seen soaked in the slushy water. Porters could be seen wearing plastic covers as caps to take cover from the rains.

“The market is very dirty, especially the entrance. At least the entrance could be raised and concreted or any proper water seepage system could be introduced to avoid this puddles. Also the roof of the market is leaking at many places,” said Mohammed (name changed), a salesman in a shop. 

The job of the delivery boys on bikes was affected significantly by the heavy downpour. “It’s a very difficult job for us on such days. The water from the bigger vehicles splashes onto us. We cannot delay the delivery, since it is food. So we need to maintain the speed,” pointed out Noushad, a deliver boy.

“The roads are slippery and dangerous and our helmets get the moist. We need to wipe it clean and usually we wait at traffic signals for cleaning helmets,” he added. 

 The climate is expected to be rainy for one more day and get colder in the coming days.