Rainfall in Saudi Arabia: Tabuk records the highest amount at 13.2 mm
Over the past 24 hours, Saudi Arabia experienced positive weather changes, resulting in rainfall across seven major regions in varying amounts. This rainfall has refreshed the land and invigorated the atmosphere, with the Tabuk region recording the highest amount at 13.2 mm at the Al-Fara'a weather station, reflecting significant weather activity in the northwestern part of the country.
Details of recorded rainfall amounts in the Kingdom's regions
According to the daily report issued by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, which monitors rainfall amounts in all regions of the Kingdom, 41 hydrological and climatic monitoring stations recorded rainfall in the regions of: Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Qassim, Tabuk, the Northern Borders, and Al-Jawf.
In the Tabuk region, rainfall was not limited to the Al-Fara'a station. The Tadco Agricultural Company station recorded 12.8 mm, the Ibrahim Al-Khalil Road station 9.4 mm, the Rahib station 6.0 mm, and the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport station 4.3 mm. In the Riyadh region, the Nafi' monitoring station in the Dawadmi governorate recorded 12.1 mm, followed by the Khaf station with 7.5 mm, Dawadmi Airport with 7.0 mm, and Sajir with 2.4 mm.
In the Makkah region, rainfall amounts reached 7.4 mm at the Radwan station in Al-Muwayh and 1.2 mm in Al-Zarban. The Madinah region recorded 4.4 mm at the Al-Mahd monitoring station. The Qassim region also received significant rainfall, with Umm Hazm in Al-Shamasiyah recording 8.1 mm, the Ministry of Environment branch in Al-Nabhaniah recording 4.4 mm, Al-Fuwayliq recording 3.6 mm, and Uyun Al-Jawa recording 3.2 mm.
Rainfall extended to the Al-Jawf region, which recorded 4.0 mm at Nadec Agricultural Company in Tabuk, 1.2 mm at Al-Wataniya Agricultural Company, and 1.6 mm at Al-Jawf Airport. In the Northern Borders region, Tarif Airport and Hazm Al-Jalamid in Arar recorded 1.0 mm, Arar Airport 0.7 mm, and Tarif Governorate 0.5 mm.
Climate and rainfall history in Saudi Arabia
Geographically, Saudi Arabia is characterized by a predominantly arid desert and semi-desert climate, with scarce and irregular rainfall. Historically, rainfall in Saudi Arabia concentrated mainly during the winter and spring seasons, with the exception of the southwestern highlands, which experience seasonal summer rains. However, in recent years, meteorologists and climatologists have observed a noticeable shift in climatic patterns, with regions such as Tabuk, Riyadh, and Qassim experiencing more frequent and intense rainfall. This climatic change is partly attributed to global climate shifts, which are causing low-pressure systems to deepen over the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in rainfall that is gradually altering the landscape.
Positive effects of rainfall on the environment and agricultural economy
This weather event is of great importance and has a wide-ranging positive impact at both the local and regional levels. Locally, these rains play a vital role in replenishing strategic groundwater reservoirs and raising water levels in dams, which is crucial for a country that relies heavily on desalination and groundwater. Furthermore, rainfall at major agricultural projects, such as Tadco in Tabuk and Nadec in Al-Jawf, directly contributes to reducing irrigation costs and supporting national agricultural production, thus enhancing the Kingdom's food security.
At the regional and international levels, increased rainfall directly supports the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. This natural water accelerates afforestation, helps combat desertification, and improves air quality, thus strengthening the Kingdom's efforts to address climate change and reduce carbon emissions, and highlighting its leading role in protecting the global environment.
