The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued an advanced weather alert for Monday in the Northern Borders region, warning of strong surface winds that could stir up dust and sand, causing a significant decrease in horizontal visibility. According to the report, the city of Tarif and its surrounding areas will be particularly affected by these conditions. The center explained that these weather conditions are expected to begin at 9:00 AM and continue until 6:00 PM on Monday, urging everyone to take precautions.
The climatic context of the Northern Borders region
Due to its geographical location and vast desert landscape, the Northern Borders region is among the areas in the Kingdom most affected by seasonal weather fluctuations and dust storms. The region's climate is continental, characterized by extremely hot summers and very cold winters, with scarce rainfall. These natural features create a fertile environment for the formation of sand and dust storms, especially during the transitional periods between seasons when the winds known locally as "North Winds" become active. The National Center for Meteorology plays a vital role in monitoring these weather phenomena and issuing early warnings, which significantly contributes to protecting lives and property and enhancing public safety.
Expected effects and the importance of warnings
The importance of these warnings lies in their direct impact on various aspects of daily life for residents. In terms of traffic safety, reduced visibility poses a significant risk to drivers, especially on highways connecting the region's cities to each other and to the rest of the Kingdom, necessitating reduced speed and extreme caution to avoid accidents. From a health perspective, the dust and sandstorms can cause health problems, particularly for those with asthma, respiratory issues, allergies, the elderly, and children. Therefore, health authorities typically recommend avoiding going out in such conditions except when absolutely necessary, and wearing protective masks to minimize inhalation of fine particles suspended in the air.
The regional and environmental dimensions of the phenomenon
Dust storms have an impact that is not limited to the local level; they can sometimes extend to a wider regional scale, as strong winds can carry dust long distances across borders, affecting neighboring countries such as Iraq and Jordan. These phenomena are part of a complex climatic system in the Arabian Peninsula and are of interest to environmental and climate researchers. A growing body of research links the frequency and intensity of these storms to global climate change and desertification, making their monitoring and understanding of their dynamics an environmental, health, and economic priority not only for the Kingdom but for the entire region.
