The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued weather for Monday, indicating continued weather fluctuations affecting large areas of the Kingdom. The report included forecasts of active surface winds stirring up dust and sand, reducing horizontal visibility in parts of the Makkah, Madinah, Al-Jawf, Northern Borders, Eastern Province, Riyadh, and Najran regions. These effects are also expected to extend to the eastern parts of the highlands in the Asir and Al-Baha regions.
Weather details and affected areas
The center explained that this weather pattern is a result of air masses passing through, leading to differences in atmospheric pressure and thus increasing wind activity. In a related matter, the report did not rule out the formation of fog during the night and early morning hours along the western and southwestern coastal areas of the Kingdom, urging caution for those using highways in those regions.
The state of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf
Regarding the sea conditions, the report indicated that the surface wind movement on the Red Sea will be northeasterly to southeasterly on the northern and central parts, and southeasterly to southwesterly on the southern part, with speeds ranging from 15 to 26 km/h, with wave heights ranging from half a meter to a meter, making the sea state slight.
In the Arabian Gulf , the situation is more turbulent, with northwesterly winds reaching speeds of up to 48 km/h, and waves rising from one and a half to two and a half meters, making the sea state moderate to rough, which may affect maritime navigation and fishing.
Special alerts for the Eastern Province
The National Center for Meteorology issued advanced warnings for the Eastern Province, forecasting strong winds and blowing dust in the governorates of Jubail, Khobar, Dammam, Qatif, Ras Tanura, Al-Ahsa, Al-Udayd, Abqaiq, and Hafr Al-Batin. This phenomenon is expected to begin at 4:00 AM and continue until 6:00 PM, accompanied by near-zero horizontal visibility (1-3 kilometers).
Climate context and weather effects
These weather fluctuations are part of the Kingdom's climatic characteristics during seasonal transitions, when surface winds become active, stirring up dust and sand, especially in open and desert areas. These dust storms typically affect air quality, which can pose a challenge for those with respiratory conditions and asthma, in addition to directly impacting traffic flow on the highways connecting the Kingdom's far-flung regions.
In such weather conditions, experts advise following up on current weather forecasts, avoiding speeding on roads due to low visibility, and staying away from open areas for people with chest allergies, in compliance with the instructions of the concerned authorities to ensure everyone's safety.
