Saudi Arabia weather: Light fog in 6 regions and weather alerts
The National Center for Meteorology issued an important weather alert regarding expected weather conditions during the early morning hours of Monday, indicating the formation of light fog that will affect horizontal visibility in large parts of six administrative regions of the Kingdom. This report comes as part of the center's ongoing monitoring of weather fluctuations to ensure the safety of citizens and residents.
Weather details and affected areas
The weather report indicated that the phenomenon is characterized by light fog, reducing horizontal visibility to between 3 and 5 kilometers. The center specified that this condition will persist until 7:00 AM in some areas and until 8:00 AM in others, urging drivers and highway users to exercise caution during the morning commute.
The alerts included the following regions and cities:
- Eastern Province: The cities and governorates of Jubail, Khobar, Khafji, Dammam, Qatif, Ras Tanura, Al-Ahsa, Al-Udayd, and Abqaiq were affected. These coastal areas, located near the Arabian Gulf, are considered the most prone to fog formation due to high humidity levels.
- Makkah Region: The alert included coastal governorates such as Al-Qunfudhah and Al-Lith.
- Medina: The situation was concentrated in Al-Rais and Yanbu.
- Asir region: included the mountainous highlands of Abha, Al-Namas, Tanomah, and Khamis Mushait.
- Tabuk region: The coastal areas of Al Wajh and Umluj were affected.
- Jazan region: included Darb, Bish, Jazan city, and Farasan Island.
The geographical and climatic context of fog in the Kingdom
Fog is a common weather phenomenon in Saudi Arabia during seasonal transitions and in winter, particularly in coastal areas and mountainous regions. This formation occurs when the air becomes saturated with water vapor (high humidity) while minimum temperatures drop during the night and early morning hours, causing the vapor to condense into tiny water droplets suspended in the air.
The coastal areas on the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf are characterized by an increased chance of fog formation due to continuous evaporation from water bodies, while the topographical nature of the Asir highlands contributes to trapping low clouds and fog, making these areas require constant caution while driving.
The importance of traffic safety warnings and guidelines
The National Center of Meteorology's alerts are of paramount importance and have a direct impact on public safety, as the traffic and road safety sectors rely on them to guide drivers. In such cases of reduced horizontal visibility, traffic safety experts advise following specific driving guidelines to avoid accidents, the most important of which are:
- Reduce speed in proportion to the available visibility distance.
- Use fog lights or low beam lights instead of high beam lights, which may scatter vision due to light reflecting off water droplets.
- Leave a sufficient safety distance between vehicles that exceeds the usual distance.
- Avoid sudden changes in routes and use warning signals clearly.
The National Center of Meteorology continues to use the latest technologies and early monitoring systems to provide accurate and up-to-date information, which contributes to raising the level of weather awareness in the community and reducing the potential risks resulting from various weather phenomena.
