Saudi Arabia weather today: Dense fog and a red alert in Riyadh and the Eastern Province
The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued weather conditions , warning of varying fog intensity that could reach high density levels, directly impacting horizontal visibility in large parts of the Riyadh and Eastern regions. This warning comes as part of the ongoing monitoring of weather fluctuations experienced by the Kingdom during this transitional period of the year.
Weather details for the Riyadh region
The center explained in its report that the Riyadh region will experience fog formation starting at midnight and continuing until 9:00 AM on Thursday. Forecasts indicate that the fog will reach a "dense" level, necessitating extreme caution, especially in the governorates of Al-Zulfi, Al-Ghat, Al-Majma'ah, and Shaqra .
The alert also covers a wide geographical area including the capital, Riyadh, as well as Diriyah, Al-Kharj, Al-Dilam, Al-Muzahmiyah, and Hawtat Bani Tamim, in addition to Al-Dawadmi, Afif, Thadiq, Huraymila, Rumah, Dhurma, and Marat. The effects of this weather system range from reduced horizontal visibility of 3-5 kilometers in some locations to near-zero visibility (1-3 kilometers) in others, while visibility may be completely obscured (less than 1 kilometer) in areas of dense fog.
Red alert in the Eastern region
In a related development, the National Center of Meteorology raised its alert level to "red alert" for the eastern region , warning of extremely dense fog that will cause near-zero visibility. This weather phenomenon is expected to begin at 11:00 PM on Wednesday and continue until 9:00 AM on Thursday.
This alert covers vital cities and governorates including: Jubail, Khobar, Dammam, Qatif, Ras Tanura, Hafr Al-Batin, Khafji, Nairyah, Qaryat Al-Ulya, Al-Ahsa, Al-Udayd, and Abqaiq. These areas are of major strategic and economic importance, which underscores the critical need to heed the warnings.
Effects of fog on traffic and public safety
These warnings are of utmost importance given the direct impact of fog on traffic on the major highways connecting the Kingdom's cities. Highways such as the Riyadh-Dammam and Riyadh-Qassim roads are known to experience heavy traffic, especially during the early morning hours when employees and students are heading to work and school.
In such weather conditions, traffic safety experts advise reducing speed, using vehicle fog lights, and avoiding the use of high beams which may obstruct vision due to light reflecting off water droplets suspended in the air, in addition to leaving a sufficient safety distance between vehicles to avoid accidents resulting from sudden stops.
The climatic context of the phenomenon
Climatically, fog is a common phenomenon in the Kingdom during winter and spring. It often occurs due to high relative humidity combined with low minimum temperatures and calm winds, leading to condensation of water vapor near the Earth's surface. The eastern and central regions are particularly conducive to the formation of what is known as "radiation fog," which gradually dissipates with sunrise and rising temperatures.
