Saudi Gazette Report

JEDDAH — Temperatures began dropping in most regions of Saudi Arabia, starting from Sunday and will continue to fall steadily until Wednesday, according to sources at the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

There was a drop in mercury in the Northern, Eastern and Central regions of the Kingdom.

Light snowfall is expected to hit on Monday and Tuesday the highlands of the Tabuk region such as Jabal Al-Lawz and Alaqan Al-Dhahr, as well as on some parts of the Northern Borders, including Arar, Turaif, Hazm Al-Jalamid, Al-Jouf and Al-Qurayyat.

The governorate of Turaif in the Northern Border Region recorded the lowest temperature in the Kingdom, touching 3 degrees Celsius, as well as in Qurayyat. Turaif, the coldest Saudi city, had recorded in the past the lowest temperature of minus 12 degree Celsius.

Snow continued to fall throughout many nights in the city, which used to witness marvelous scenes of the “white sea” spreading all over the vast plains and mountains. Snowfall areas in Saudi Arabia offer an enchanting and memorable experience to the visitors.

Aqeel Al-Aqeel, an analyst at the NMC, said that the weather fluctuations would continue, with a possibility for rain once again in most regions of the Kingdom. According to NMC sources, light to moderate rain is expected to hit on Monday and Tuesday several regions across the Kingdom.

These include Tabuk, Al-Wajh, Duba, Umluj, NEOM, Sharma, and Taimah in the Tabuk region; Makkah, Jeddah, Rabigh, Taif, Jumum, Al-Kamel, Khulais, and Bahra in the Makkah region; Al-Ais, Badr, Yanbu, Al-Ula, Khaiber, Al-Mahd, Wadi Al-Fara, and Al-Hanakiya in the Madinah region; and Al-Baha, Baljurashi, Al-Mandaq Al-Qura, Qilwa, and Al-Makhwah in Al-Baha region.

It is expected that moderate rain to fall from Sunday to Tuesday in Al-Ghazala Al-Shanana and most of the governorates in the Hail region; Rafha, Arar, and Turaif in the Northern Borders Region; Sakaka, Dumat Al-Jandal, Al-Qurayyat, and Tabarjal in Al-Jouf region; Abha, Khamis Mushayt, Sarat Obaidah, Ahad Rofaidah, Dhahran Al-Janoub, Al-Namas, Balqarn, Al-Majaridah, Mahayil,Tanumah, and Al-Bork in the Asir region; Jazan, Fifa, Al-Khouba, Al-Ardah, Haroub, Al-Harth, Al-Da’ir, Al-Shaqiq, and Bish in Jazan; and Habona, and Badr Al-Janoub in the Najran region.

Moderate rain is likely to hit on Monday and Tuesday in Buraidah, Unaizah, Al-Ras, and most governorates of Al- Qassim region as well as in Hafar Al-Batin, Khafji, Al-Nairyah, Qaryat Al-Olayya, Qatif, Dammam, Dhahran, Al-Khobar, Abqaiq, and Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province, in addition to Riyadh city, Al-Kharj Al-Muzahamiya, Al-Quwaia, Al-Majmaa, Al-Zulfi, Al-Ghat, Shaqra, Remah, Al-Dawadmi and Afeef in the Riyadh region.

Al-Aqeel said surface winds, accompanied by dust, are expected to hit from Monday in Al-Jouf and the Northern Border regions and that will extend from Tuesday to the regions of Hail, Al-Qassim, Eastern Province and Riyadh, and then to the regions of Najran, Asir, Al-Baha and Makkah, including its coastal areas.

This might cause the waves to rise to more than two and a half meters, he said, while indicating that there will be tangible decrease in temperatures in the regions of Tabuk, Al-Jouf, the Northern Borders Region, Hail, Al-Qassim and northern part of the Madinah region, where the lowest temperatures are expected to reach between subzero 1 to 4 degree Celsius.

The lowest temperatures are expected to reach between 2 to 5 degree Celsius in Riyadh and the northern parts of the Eastern Province.