National Center for Meteorology alerts for the Jazan region
The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued an important weather alert on Friday for the Jazan region and its surrounding governorates. The alert forecasts moderate to heavy rainfall, accompanied by active surface winds that will reduce horizontal visibility, as well as hail, flash floods in valleys and ravines, and scattered thunderstorms.
The weather alert issued by the meteorology department covered several governorates and mountainous and coastal areas in Jazan, namely: Al-Harath, Al-Dayer Bani Malik, Al-Raith, Al-Ardah, Al-Aydabi, Fifa, and Haroub, in addition to open areas and highways connecting these governorates. The center explained that this unstable weather condition will continue, God willing, until 9:00 PM this evening.
The geographical and climatic context of the Jazan region
The Jazan region, located in the far southwest of Saudi Arabia, is characterized by its diverse geography, which combines coastal plains with towering mountains such as the Fifa and Dayer mountains. This geographical diversity makes the region susceptible to continuous climatic fluctuations, especially during seasonal transitions. Jazan is among the regions in the Kingdom that receive the most rainfall, thanks to its location facing the humid monsoon winds coming from the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Historically, the region has relied heavily on these seasonal rains to nourish its renowned agricultural terraces. Jazan is considered an important food basket, producing Khawlani coffee, mangoes, papayas, and other tropical crops that directly benefit from these rainfalls.
Local and regional impact of rainfall patterns
Locally, these rains play a vital role in replenishing groundwater reserves and feeding major dams in the region, such as the Wadi Jazan Dam and the Wadi Bish Dam, thus supporting the agricultural sector and providing drinking water. However, the heavy rainfall and resulting flash floods necessitate extreme caution, as they affect traffic on mountain roads and highways, and may cause temporary road closures due to rockfalls or water accumulation.
At the regional and national levels, this early warning reflects the advanced capabilities of the National Center for Meteorology in the Kingdom, which operates using the latest global technologies to monitor weather phenomena, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to protect lives and property. These efforts are complemented by the General Directorate of Civil Defense, which typically mobilizes its teams in such conditions, emphasizing the need for citizens and residents to stay away from valleys and flood channels, and to avoid using mobile phones during thunderstorms to ensure public safety.
