JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology (NCM) issued red and orange weather alerts across several key provinces on Wednesday, as moderate to severe thunderstorms accompanied by hail and strong winds hit parts of Madinah, Al-Jouf, the Northern Borders, Asir, and Makkah.
A high-severity red alert for heavy downpours was activated in the Madinah region, effective from 8:00 AM until 9:00 PM on Wednesday. Weather authorities warned that the storm system would bring gale-force winds, near-zero horizontal visibility, hail, high coastal waves, and a high risk of flash flooding in low-lying wadis.
Concurrently, orange alerts indicating moderate to heavy rainfall remained active across Al-Jouf and the Northern Borders through 1:00 PM on Wednesday. Additional orange advisories were enforced for Asir from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM, while Makkah faced staggered advisories covering morning and evening timeframes.
The meteorological department cautioned that regions under orange alerts would experience dust-stirring winds, sharp drops in visibility, torrential showers, and localized flash floods, with elevated sea waves expected along the Makkah coastline.
According to the NCM’s daily forecast, unstable atmospheric conditions bringing active surface winds, blowing dust, hail, and torrential rains are slated to persist across Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Hail, Tabuk, Al-Jouf, and the Northern Borders. Light to moderate rain and localized fog formation were also reported over parts of Al-Qassim and the Eastern Province.
In terms of temperature forecasts, Makkah is projected to record the highest maximum temperature at 38°C, followed by Buraidah at 37°C, while Riyadh, Madinah, Jeddah, and Dammam are expected to hover around 36°C. Atmospheric humidity levels are predicted to peak at 90 per cent in Abha, Tabuk, and Al-Baha, creating muggy conditions across the high-altitude and coastal zones.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com