Saudi Arabia weather: Fog and dust affect 9 regions today
The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued weather conditions during the early morning hours of Monday, indicating that large parts of the Kingdom will be affected by varying weather phenomena that require caution and vigilance from drivers and highway users.
Weather and fog details
The center explained in its daily report that nine Saudi regions are experiencing fog of varying intensity, which leads to a decrease in horizontal visibility to between (3-5) kilometers in some locations, while it may reach a near-zero visibility of (1-3) kilometers in other locations, which necessitates adherence to traffic safety rules.
The areas affected by this situation included:
- Eastern Province: Jubail, Khobar, Khafji, Dammam, Qatif, and Ras Tanura.
- Makkah Region: The highlands in Taif and Maysan.
- Medina: Al-Ula and Khaybar governorates.
- Asir region: Abha, Al Namas, Balqarn, Tanomah, and Khamis Mushait.
- Tabuk region: Tayma, Haql, and Tabuk city.
- Northern borders: Al-Uwayqilah and Arar.
- Al-Jawf region: Al-Qurayyat, Tabarjal, and Tarif.
- Al-Baha region: Al-Qura, Al-Mandaq, Al-Baha city, Baljurashi, and Bani Hassan.
- Jazan region: Al-Harth, Al-Dayer, Al-Raith, Al-Ardah, Al-Aydabi, Fifa, and Haroub.
Dust storms and strong winds in the Eastern Province
In a related development, the National Center for Meteorology warned of active surface winds stirring up dust and sand in parts of the Eastern Province . This weather condition is expected to begin at 7:00 AM and continue until 4:00 PM, particularly affecting the governorates of Al-Ahsa, Al-Udayd, Abqaiq, and Hafr Al-Batin. These winds are expected to reduce horizontal visibility to levels between 3 and 5 kilometers.
The importance of early warning and public safety
These alerts are of paramount importance to public safety, as the National Center of Meteorology's automated early warning system is a cornerstone of protecting lives and property. These weather phenomena are part of the typical climate fluctuations at this time of year, with high humidity and low minimum temperatures contributing to the formation of dense fog, particularly in coastal areas and mountainous regions such as the Sarawat Mountains.
Experts and security authorities, such as the Civil Defense and Traffic Department, advise leaving safe distances between vehicles, using fog lights, and avoiding excessive speed in low visibility, to ensure everyone's safety and reduce traffic accidents that may result from bad weather conditions.
