issued The National Center for Meteorology advanced and urgent weather alerts on Thursday, warning of significant weather fluctuations, including heavy rainfall in the Jazan region and strong surface winds causing dust storms in the Qassim region. These warnings are part of ongoing monitoring to ensure the safety of citizens and residents.
Heavy rains and floods hit the Jazan region
The National Center for Meteorology explained that the Jazan region will experience moderate to heavy rainfall, accompanied by strong surface winds that will reduce horizontal visibility to near zero. The weather system will also include hail, flash floods in valleys and ravines, and intense thunderstorms.
These alerts target the governorates of Al-Harth, Al-Dayer Bani Malik, Al-Raith, Al-Ardah, Al-Aydabi, Fifa, Haroub, Sabya, Abu Arish, Ahad Al-Masarihah, Al-Tuwal, Samtah, Damad, and the Al-Fatihah center, in addition to open areas and highways. This weather condition is expected to continue, God willing, until 9:00 PM this evening.
It should be noted that the geographical nature of the Jazan region, which combines mountainous highlands and coasts, makes it prone to the rapid formation of flash floods, which requires extreme caution from road users.
Dust storms and reduced visibility in the Qassim region
On the other hand, in the center of the Kingdom, the center warned of the continued dust storms in the Qassim region, which includes the governorates of: Al-Rass, Abanat, Al-Nabhania, Riyadh Al-Khabra, Dhariyah, Uqlat Al-Suqur, and the Al-Khabra and Al-Fawarah centers.
This condition will persist until 10:00 AM, accompanied by strong winds that will cause near-zero horizontal visibility, potentially dropping to between 1 and 3 kilometers. Dust storms are a common weather feature in the central regions of the Kingdom, particularly during the transitional periods between seasons.
Climate context and weather effects
Historically, Saudi Arabia experiences sharp weather fluctuations during seasonal transitions, as warm and cold air masses collide, resulting in atmospheric instability. In line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, the National Center of Meteorology is working to develop an early warning system to mitigate natural hazards and protect lives and property.
Locally, these rains in Jazan are of great importance to the agricultural sector, as the region is a major food basket and is renowned for its Khawlani coffee and tropical fruits. However, the heavy rainfall necessitates effective flood management to prevent damage to infrastructure. Regionally, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events reflects the impacts of global climate change, which is increasingly affecting the Middle East, thus requiring enhanced regional cooperation in meteorology and environmental science.
In this context, the relevant authorities always stress the need to take precautions, stay away from valleys and flood channels, and avoid speeding during periods of low horizontal visibility, in order to preserve public safety.
