Torrential rainfall, stormy weather next few days

Weather

Published: 2019-02-27 12:50

Last Updated: 2024-03-18 15:38


Torrential rainfall, stormy weather next few days
Torrential rainfall, stormy weather next few days

During a telephone call with Roya, Osama Tarifi, Head of Operations and weather forecaster at Arabia Weather, said that as of Tuesday night, February 26, 2019, the Kingdom started to be affected by a fourth-degree weather depression, according to the weather depressions intensity indicator, which will bring strong air masses in all parts of the Kingdom and will peak on Thursday.

As of Tuesday night, most parts of the Kingdom witnessed heavy rainfall and stormy weather, Tarifi said.

Tarifi added that in the next few hours, the weather will be getting colder, with cloudy and rainy weather in the northern and central parts of the Kingdom, as well as in some southern highlands.

Torrential rainfall is expected, which will be accompanied by hail and thunderstorms.

Westerly Winds, that might reach 100 k/h, are predicted, causing dust to rise in the southern and eastern regions of the Kingdom, including various deserts and on the roads.

Arabia Weather’s warnings to citizens:

  • Stay away from valleys and areas where flooding may occur due to heavy rain.
  • Stay in higher and safer places, especially for those who live in tents.
  • Check and maintain water drainage systems and channels to limit rising water levels, which can flood houses.
  • Provide water-suction motors in houses on grounds lower than street levels.
  • Fix down rooftop objects which can be uplifted by winds to prevent endangering others.
  • Stay away from water bodies to avoid risk of falling.
  • Avoid driving in poor visibility, especially in desert areas.
  • Safe use of heating facilities
  • Drive safe, particularly in desert areas and highlands, due to fog.

The weather depressions intensity indicator depends on several factors:

  • Total rainfall in all areas affected by the weather depression in the Kingdom and the number of areas to be affected
  • Wind speed
  • Temperatures, duration and period of the weather depression
  • Snowfall 

Weather depressions have been classified according to this indicator into five degrees:

  • First-degree: weather depression usually accompanied by showers of rain.
  • Second-degree: accompanied by some rainfall and affects some areas
  • Third-degree: accompanied by medium to heavy rainfall, strong winds and some snow showers in some areas.
  • Fourth-degree: is a weather depression which highly affects most areas of the Kingdom, accompanied by heavy rainfall, strong winds, a significant drop in temperatures, and snowfall at times.
  • Fifth-degree: usually called a "winter storm" and is accompanied by torrential rainfall, strong winds, a remarkable decrease in temperatures and heavy snowfall in various parts of the Kingdom.