The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued its highest level of warning, a "red alert," on Thursday, cautioning of heavy rainfall and severe weather conditions across large parts of the Riyadh, Makkah, Asir, and Qassim regions. The center indicated that this weather system is expected to persist until 9:00 PM this evening and urged everyone to take precautions.
Alert details and affected areas
The warning covers several governorates and vital cities in four main regions, where severe effects are expected, including strong winds that could cause objects to be blown away, near-zero horizontal visibility, heavy hail, flash floods, and significant thunderstorm activity. The following is a breakdown of the areas covered by the red alert:
- Riyadh region: Dawadmi and Afif.
- Makkah Region: Ash-Shira and Taif.
- Asir region: Al Namas, Balqarn, Tanomah, Bisha, Rijal Alma, Mahayil, Al Majardah, Bariq, Al Harjah, Al Rabua, Al Farsha, Sarat Abidah, and Dhahran Al Janoub.
- Al-Qassim region: Al-Asyah, Al-Badai’, Al-Bukayriyah, Al-Thamiriya, Al-Shamasiya, Al-Mudhnib, Buraydah, Unayzah, Uyun Al-Jawa, Abanan, Al-Khabra, Ar-Rass, Al-Fawarah, An-Nabhaniah, Riyadh Al-Khabra, Dhariyah, and Uqlat As-Suqur.
- Jazan region: Al-Harth, Al-Dayer, Al-Raith, Al-Ardah, Al-Aydabi, Fifa, and Haroub.
The climatic context and the importance of rainfall in the Kingdom
This rainfall comes within the context of the spring rainy season in parts of the Kingdom, known locally as the "Marawih" or "Sarayat" period. This period is typically characterized by rapid weather changes and the formation of cumulonimbus clouds. Although the Kingdom's climate is mostly desert, the southwestern highlands, such as the Asir region, enjoy a more temperate climate and receive larger amounts of rainfall annually.
These rains are of major strategic importance to the Kingdom, as they directly contribute to replenishing dams and groundwater reserves, which are the country's primary source of fresh water. They also support the agricultural sector and contribute to the growth of vegetation cover, positively impacting the environment and combating desertification, a key objective of Saudi Vision 2030.
Expected effects and calls to adhere to instructions
With the severity of the weather conditions, relevant authorities, led by the General Directorate of Civil Defense, have raised their level of preparedness to deal with any emergency. The Directorate reiterated its call to citizens and residents to stay away from valleys and floodplains, avoid low-lying areas and water accumulations, and not risk crossing them. It also stressed the importance of securing loose objects on rooftops and driving with extreme caution on roads during rainfall and when visibility is poor.
These weather conditions are expected to affect traffic in cities and on highways, and may lead to the suspension of classes or work in some sectors as a precautionary measure to ensure everyone's safety. It is advised to follow the continuous updates issued by the National Center of Meteorology and other official sources for accurate and reliable information on weather developments.
