Watch: Lightning Strikes Mecca’s Clock Tower Creating Flower-like Effect

A severe storm struck Mecca, one of Islam’s holiest sites, where many people gather to perform Umrah. Numerous videos of the storm have gone viral on social media, with the most widely shared being the footage of lightning striking Mecca’s famous clock tower. In the viral video, the sight of lightning hitting the world’s largest clock tower is both terrifying and awe-inspiring. According to the National Center for Meteorology, winds reached speeds of 80 km/hour during the storm. The video that has gone viral captured the exact moment a lightning bolt struck the iconic tower, lighting up the night sky over the holy city. Despite the powerful strike, the Mecca Clock Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, remained undamaged.

During the event, a shape resembling a tree with branches initially appears, followed by a bright light spreading across the sky. The lightning then forms a straight line before striking with a loud thunderclap.

This is not the first time that lightning striking the clock tower has been documented on video. Whenever it rains in Mecca City, thunderstorms and lightning strikes targeting the crescent on the clock tower often become viral on social media. You might wonder why the clock tower is particularly prone to lightning strikes. The Mecca Clock Tower is equipped with 800 fixed rods and 20 automatically extending lightning conductors designed to protect the clock and its lights. These rods are positioned at the highest point of the tower to attract lightning strikes. When lightning hits, the rods safely channel the millions of volts of energy through copper or aluminium cables into the ground, thus protecting the tower from the intense energy surge.

The Mecca Clock Tower complex features residential buildings for extended stays, the Abraj Al Bait shopping centre, and a five-star hotel operated by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, catering to Haj pilgrims. The complex offers over a thousand parking spaces.