Snowfall in Saudi Arabia as temperatures plunge

Week begins with heavy fog affecting visibility in south-west of the country

Fog blankets a mountainous area in Saudi Arabia's Al Baha governorate. SPA

Snow fell in northern Saudi Arabia over the weekend as temperatures dropped sharply across the kingdom.

Snowfall was reported in the Tabuk governorate as the mercury fell below 0ºC on Friday, while Turaif governorate, also in the north, recorded a temperature of 1ºC on Saturday, according to the National Centre for Meteorology (NCM).

The centre said snow and fog was expected in parts of Al Jawf, Tabuk, Hail and the northern parts of Madinah region.

Social media users posted photos of snow on Jabal Al Lawz in Tabuk, the only mountain in Saudi Arabia that receives snow in the winter.

The NCM forecast partly cloudy to cloudy skies with a chance of light rain on Monday, with fog forming over the regions of Jizan, Asir, Al Baha and temperatures ranging between 9ºC and 23ºC.

Dense fog formed in Jizan is the south-west, affecting visibility in the region's cities of Al Harth, Al Daer, Al Raith, Al Ardha, Al Aydabi, Fifa and Harub.

In the Al Baha governorate, south of Makkah, the General Administration of Technical and Vocational Training suspended classes at its centres because of the risk of traffic accidents due to reduced visibility.

The NCM warned also warned on Monday of strong winds with speeds of 40-49kph in the western cities of Jeddah and Rabigh, accompanied by decreased visibility.

The sky will be cloudy over the most western areas of the kingdom, with rain clouds over the Northern Border, Al Jawf and Tabuk regions, it said.