Saudi Gazette report

TABUK — Heavy snowfall and gales, which swept many parts of the Middle East region, blanketed the northwestern Tabuk region early Thursday, creating some amazing scenery.

The unusual scenes of camels covered in the snow went viral as many local residents shared pictures on social media. A video posted on Twitter showed snow falling profusely at dawn on Thursday in the Tabuk region, covering camels with layers of white. Another video footage showed heavy snowfall in Alaqan town, northwest of Tabuk.

The snowstorm named “Joyce' that hit the Levant is considered to be the strongest in several years, accompanying torrential rains with lightning, thunder, hail, and snow that may reach 1,100 meters. The storm will continue until Friday, according to weather forecasts.

Many parts of the Tabuk region are witnessing severe cold waves accompanied by heavy snowfall that blanketed most of the plains and mountainous regions since Wednesday evening. A large number of the local residents flocked to this region to enjoy the amazing natural beauty of these regions as if they were adorned with white robes.

Earlier, weather expert Hassan Karani revealed, on his Twitter account, that snow would fall on the northwestern regions of the Kingdom, its coasts, and the northern borders, starting from Wednesday. This situation would also be witnessed in Turaif and Qurayyat along with Egypt, he said while calling on everyone to wear winter clothes in light of the severe cold wave.

Snow blanketed most parts of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan on Wednesday, blocking roads, disrupting traffic, and postponing vaccination campaigns against coronavirus in many affected areas, and this snowstorm crossed northern border regions of Saudi Arabia.

Many government agencies in the northern regions intensified monitoring to avoid any mishaps caused by snowfall as well as to ensure that the local residents and picnickers strictly adhere to the coronavirus protocols.