Saudi Arabia weather today: Thunderstorms, flash floods, and a drop in temperature

The National Center for Meteorology issued its detailed daily report on weather conditions for this Sunday, revealing severe weather fluctuations including thunderstorms of varying intensity, accompanied by a noticeable drop in temperatures and fog formation in several regions, which calls for taking precautions.

Weather details and affected areas

According to weather forecasts, moderate to heavy thunderstorms are expected to continue. This weather system may cause flash flooding in valleys and wadis, and will be accompanied by hail and strong, dust-raising winds. The areas directly affected include parts of the Qassim, Northern Borders, and Eastern Provinces , as well as the northern parts of the Riyadh .

In a related context, temperatures are witnessing a noticeable decrease, coinciding with the activity of surface winds that may stir up dust and sand, leading to a decrease in horizontal visibility, and may reach the point of near-zero visibility in some parts of the aforementioned regions. These effects extend to include parts of the Tabuk and Madinah , especially on their coastal parts.

Climate context and the importance of warnings

These weather fluctuations are part of the typical climatic patterns for this time of year in the Arabian Peninsula, as the region is affected by the passage of low-pressure systems that lead to atmospheric instability. These rainfall events play a vital role in replenishing groundwater and vegetation, but they also necessitate close monitoring of current weather forecasts.

These warnings are of paramount importance locally, as these weather phenomena directly impact traffic on highways between cities, especially given the meteorological warnings of dense fog in parts of the western and southwestern regions, as well as the Al-Jawf region. In such conditions, authorities typically urge people to avoid valleys and flood channels and to adhere to Civil Defense instructions to ensure public safety.

State of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf

Regarding the maritime situation, the center provided the following details:

Red Sea

• Surface winds: They will be northwesterly to northerly in the northern and central parts, and will turn southeasterly and southwesterly in the southern part, with speeds ranging between 20-40 km/h, and may reach 50 km/h with the formation of thunderclouds.
• Wave height: ranging from one to two meters, and may reach two and a half meters in the southern part.
• Sea state: Light to moderate waves, becoming rough in the south.

Arabian Gulf

• Surface winds: Southwesterly to northwesterly at a speed of 20-45 km/h, with gusts reaching 55 km/h with thunderstorms.
• Wave height: from one to two meters, reaching up to two and a half meters.
• Sea state: Moderate to rough during thunderstorms.