Saudi Arabia weather: Fog and reduced visibility in 5 regions today, Friday

The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued an official alert this morning, Friday, indicating that light fog is affecting large parts of five administrative regions, urging caution among motorists and residents of those areas. This report is part of the ongoing monitoring of weather conditions and atmospheric fluctuations currently affecting the Kingdom.

Weather details and timing

The center explained in its daily report that the weather condition is characterized by light fog, which began affecting the area during the early morning hours and is expected to continue until 8:00 AM on Friday. This weather phenomenon is causing a decrease in horizontal visibility to between 3 and 5 kilometers, which may directly affect traffic flow, especially on highways and in open areas.

Affected areas and cities

The weather alert covered several cities and governorates distributed across five main regions, which are as follows:

• The Eastern Province: This included Hafr Al-Batin, Al-Khafji, Al-Nairiyah, Qaryat Al-Ulya, as well as Al-Udayd and Dha'balutan. These areas have an open geographical nature that makes them prone to the formation of both dense and light fog during the morning hours.
• Makkah Region: The situation was concentrated in the coastal governorates such as Al-Lith and Al-Qunfudhah, where the high humidity coming from the Red Sea contributes to the formation of fog.
• Asir region: The alert included the mountainous highlands and major cities such as Abha, Ahad Rafidah, and Khamis Mushait.
• Jazan region: Al Darb, Bish, Farasan Island, and Jazan city itself were all affected.
• Northern Borders Region: The situation included Rafha and Al-Uwaiqilah.

Climate context and the importance of the warning

These weather phenomena are part of the seasonal changes occurring in the Kingdom, where the interaction of air masses, temperature variations between day and night, and high relative humidity all contribute to water vapor condensation and fog formation. These warnings are of paramount importance due to their direct impact on public safety.

The relevant authorities, including road security and civil defense, call on citizens and residents in the aforementioned areas to adhere to safe driving rules during fog, which include reducing speed, using fog lights, and leaving a sufficient safety distance between vehicles to avoid traffic accidents that may result from reduced visibility.