The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued an urgent and comprehensive warning, alerting citizens and residents to a severe polar air mass expected to affect large parts of the country. This weather system, known locally and traditionally as the "Azraq" wave, is expected to begin tomorrow, Saturday, and its direct effects will continue until next Tuesday, bringing with it a significant drop in temperatures that may reach or fall below freezing in some northern and central regions.
Weather details and affected areas
According to weather reports, a cold air mass will sweep across a wide geographical area encompassing Al-Jawf, the Northern Borders, Tabuk, Hail, Al-Qassim, and Riyadh, extending to the northern parts of the Eastern Province. Digital forecasts indicate that temperatures will register critical readings ranging between 2 degrees Celsius above zero and 2 degrees below zero, necessitating extreme caution, especially during the night and early morning hours.
What is the "Blue Wave"?
This cold wave coincides with a long-standing popular and climatic tradition in the Arabian Peninsula known as "Al-Aziraq" or "Al-Aziraq Week," a period typically considered the coldest of the year. It is named for the intense cold that turns the skin and extremities blue due to the constriction of blood vessels. This period is characterized by clear skies, allowing the earth's heat to escape at night, thus exacerbating the feeling of bitter cold—a characteristic associated with the peak of the winter solstice in January.
Surface winds and sea disturbance
The warning was not limited to temperatures; it also included an alert for strong surface winds that will stir up dust and sand, particularly on Sunday and Monday, concentrated along the coastal areas of Tabuk, Medina, and Mecca. This wind activity will cause waves in the Red Sea to reach heights of approximately two and a half meters, posing a risk to navigation and fishing, and necessitating avoiding the sea during this period.
The end of the forty-day period and the arrival of February
In a related context, weather expert Dr. Khaled Al-Zaaq pointed out that the Kingdom is currently experiencing the final days of the "Al-Murabba'aniyah" season, specifically its third star. The weather is preparing to welcome the "Shubat" season in about ten days. This season was known to the Arabs in ancient times by names reflecting its harshness, such as "Muqraq Al-Biban" (the one who rattles doors) and "Muqta' Al-Rabat" (the one who cuts the ropes), referring to the strong and unstable winds that characterize it, capable of shaking doors and uprooting Bedouin tents.
Public safety recommendations
Given these conditions, it is advisable to follow public safety guidelines, the most important of which is ensuring the safety of heating appliances and providing adequate ventilation to avoid suffocation accidents, exercising caution when driving on highways and open roads due to the possibility of reduced horizontal visibility caused by dust, in addition to wearing heavy winter clothing to protect children and the elderly from severe colds.
