Tornado rips through Taif in Saudi Arabia

National Centre of Meteorology warns of thunderstorms in most regions in the kingdom over the week

The tornado in Taif. Screenshot: Arabia Weather SA

A huge sand tornado rolled through Taif in the Makkah province of Saudi Arabia, alarming many residents.

A video on social media showed the moment the tornado tore across a field, lifting stones and rocks in its path.

Saudi resident Salman Al Otaibi put up a tweet showing the damage caused by the tornado on Monday.

Thunderstorms of varying intensity will hit most Saudi regions next week, the kingdom's National Centre of Meteorology said on Sunday.

Moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms, accompanied by over 50kph sandstorms, hail and flash floods are expected in most provinces across the country.

Torrential rain may occur, which will result in low visibility.

The centre called residents to follow its updates through its communication services and media channels, and to heed the instructions of concerned authorities.

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air touching the ground, that is usually attached to the base of a thunderstorm.