Severe storm floods drench the desert city of Riyadh

The rare storm struck late on Tuesday evening and though subsiding by daybreak Wednesday, the aftereffects continue to be felt as residents of the capital woke up to waterlogged roads.

Soon social media itself was flooded as Saudis recorded their fear and surprise.

Traffic reportedly backed up for miles along at least one major thoroughfare and many vehicles broke down after the unexpected deluge overwhelmed the capital city's streets.

An emergency plan to deal with the flooding came into effect, said spokesman for the municipal council Mohammed al-Shwayman.

Residents were urged not to gather in affected areas "for the sake of taking pictures and videos, putting their lives at risk", Shwayman added.

But official warnings to stay far from afflicted areas did not stop defiant residents from sharing images of the floods on social media.

All schools in the capital region were also ordered to remain closed on Wednesday due to the extreme conditions.

Riyadh, a desert city of 5.7 million, is famed for its searing temperatures and sees only occasional bursts of rain.

It was of little surprise that the news of flooding came to many in the capital as quite a shock.