JEDDAH: The Saudi Red Crescent Authority’s Makkah branch has increased its readiness in response to warnings of heavy rain issued by the National Center for Meteorology. On Monday, several regions of the Kingdom, including Makkah and Madinah, experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms, with the Civil Defense expecting the weather to continue until Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The authority stated that its command-and-control room, ambulance stations, rapid response teams, and volunteer ambulance units in Makkah are fully operational.