Weather forecast in Saudi Arabia: Winds, dust, and fog expected today, Thursday
The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued its daily weather forecast for Thursday, warning of continued surface wind activity stirring up dust and sand across large parts of northern, eastern, and central Saudi Arabia, leading to reduced horizontal visibility. The report also indicated the possibility of fog forming during the night and early morning hours in some coastal areas.
The climatic context of weather fluctuations in the Kingdom
These weather conditions are typical of Saudi Arabia's desert and semi-desert climate, where sand and dust storms are a frequent occurrence, especially during seasonal transitions. These storms are usually caused by the passage of low-pressure systems or significant pressure differences, resulting in strong winds that can carry enormous quantities of sand and dust from vast desert regions like the Rub' al Khali and the Nafud al-Kabir, transporting them over long distances to populated areas.
Expected impacts on public health and safety
These dust storms have direct impacts on various aspects of daily life. On the health front, health authorities continuously warn of the dangers associated with inhaling dust, especially for asthma and allergy sufferers, the elderly, and children, advising them to stay indoors and keep windows tightly closed. As for public safety, the reduced horizontal visibility poses a significant challenge to transportation, requiring drivers to exercise extreme caution on highways, and may cause delays or rescheduling of some flights at affected airports.
Forecast details for affected areas
active winds are expected to affect parts of Al-Jawf, the Northern Borders, Hail, and Al-Qassim . The impact will also extend to the eastern parts of the Madinah . The center issued a special alert for the Eastern Province and Riyadh . In the Eastern Province, the forecast includes the governorates of Hafr Al-Batin, Al-Nairiyah, and Qaryat Al-Ulya, while in Riyadh, it includes the governorates of Al-Zulfi, Al-Ghat, Al-Majma'ah, and Shaqra. The conditions are expected to begin in the morning and continue until the evening, accompanied by a decrease in visibility that may drop to between 3 and 5 kilometers.
Regarding the fog , the center indicated that its formation during the night and early morning hours on the coastal parts of the Makkah and Eastern , which may further limit visibility in those areas.
The state of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf
Red Sea
- Surface winds: Northwesterly to northerly in the northern and central parts at speeds of 25-45 km/h, possibly reaching 55 km/h towards the Gulf of Aqaba. Southeasterly to southwesterly in the southern part at speeds of 12-35 km/h, reaching 45 km/h towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Wave height: from one and a half to two and a half meters on the northern and central parts, and from half a meter to one and a half meters on the southern part.
- Sea state: Moderate to rough in the northern and central parts, and slight to moderate in the southern part.
Arabian Gulf
- Surface winds: Northeasterly to southeasterly over the northern and central parts, and northeasterly to northwesterly over the southern part at a speed of 10-28 km/h.
- Wave height: from half a meter to one meter.
- Sea state: Light waves.
The National Center for Meteorology calls on everyone to follow the updates and reports issued by it and to comply with the instructions of the relevant authorities to ensure their safety.
