Weather in Al-Jawf and the Eastern Province: Dust storms and fog reducing visibility
The National Center for Meteorology issued an important weather alert for the Al-Jawf region, warning of a dust storm that could reduce or even eliminate horizontal visibility. This alert is part of the ongoing monitoring of weather conditions to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and highway users.
Weather details in Al-Jawf region
The center explained in its report that the weather conditions will begin affecting the city of Sakaka at 3:00 AM on Tuesday and will continue until 7:00 PM that same day. These conditions will affect the city of Sakaka , as well as several major governorates including Dumat al-Jandal, Qurayyat, and Tabuk .
Forecasts indicate active surface winds stirring up dust and sand, leading to near-zero horizontal visibility, expected to range between 1 and 3 kilometers. These weather phenomena are typical of the region's desert climate, particularly during seasonal transitions, when winds pick up and stir up sand in open areas.
Geographic context and weather effects
The Al-Jawf region holds significant strategic and geographical importance as the Kingdom's northern gateway, traversed by vital international highways connecting Saudi Arabia to neighboring countries. Therefore, such warnings are of paramount importance to the transportation and logistics sector, as well as to road travelers. Authorities, such as Civil Defense and Highway Patrol, typically urge drivers to exercise caution while driving in such conditions and to avoid high speeds due to reduced visibility.
From a health perspective, experts always advise respiratory patients, asthma sufferers, and the elderly to avoid direct exposure to dusty environments, to use face masks when necessary, and to keep windows tightly closed in homes and vehicles to reduce the inhalation of dust particles suspended in the air.
Dense fog in the eastern region
In related weather news for the Kingdom, the National Center for Meteorology's warnings were not limited to the northern regions but also included the Eastern Province. The center warned of fog formation that would reduce horizontal visibility during the early morning hours of Tuesday.
The fog will begin at 11 PM on Monday and continue until 7 AM on Tuesday, affecting the cities and governorates of Jubail, Khobar, Dammam, Dhahran, Qatif, Ras Tanura, and others . Fog is a recurring phenomenon in the Eastern Province's coastal areas due to high relative humidity and water vapor condensation, necessitating extreme caution while driving in the morning.
