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The National Center for Meteorology reported that hot to extremely hot conditions would continue across large parts of the kingdom on Thursday with the highest temperatures forecast in the Eastern Province. Dammam could reach 49 degrees Celsius while Buraidah would see 45 degrees, Hail 42 degrees and Arar 44 degrees according to the center’s daily bulletin. Riyadh and Makkah were each expected to hit 46 degrees with Madinah forecast at 47 degrees and Najran and Tabuk both at 41 degrees. The center placed Jeddah at 39 degrees Celsius, Jazan at 38 degrees, Sakaka at 43 degrees, Al-Baha at 33 degrees and Abha at 32 degrees.
Thunderstorms accompanied by rain were expected to develop over parts of the southern highlands the National Center for Meteorology stated in its forecast issued on August 6. Abha would see dust along with the thunderstorms and active winds while Al-Baha faced dust scattered rain and active winds. Jazan was forecast to experience thunderstorms active winds and blowing dust the center added. Riyadh Makkah Madinah Buraidah Hail and Najran were predicted to be partly cloudy.
Active winds would affect Makkah Madinah Asir Al-Baha Jazan Riyadh Najran and the Northern Borders region the National Center for Meteorology indicated. Blowing dust was expected to reduce visibility in Makkah Riyadh Jazan and the Northern Borders with near-zero visibility possible on the Jazan coastal road according to the center. Jeddah would see partly cloudy skies with active winds and blowing dust while Dammam faced dusty conditions and Tabuk Arar and Sakaka remained clear the bulletin showed.
A seasonal outlook released earlier by the National Center for Meteorology projected warmer-than-normal temperatures across most of Saudi Arabia from August through October with a 60-to-80-percent probability of above-average surface temperatures. The center’s spokesman Hussein Al-Qahtani had previously noted that summer readings for June through August would run one to two degrees Celsius higher than the long-term average in western southwestern and some southern areas. The current heatwave aligns with that pattern the National Center for Meteorology has indicated in its ongoing updates.
The National Center for Meteorology has maintained daily monitoring of these conditions as part of its mandate to issue early warnings for the kingdom. Its numerical weather models support the forecast for continued thunderstorm chances in southern areas through the end of the week. Public advisories from the center routinely urge caution during periods of reduced visibility and extreme heat.
