Dust storms to hit Riyadh and several other Saudi cities
Face masks on…
For the past few months, Saudi Arabia has been getting cold wave after cold wave, and now the weather is taking a turn. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has just announced that we’re expecting several dust storms in Saudi Arabia.
The dust storms in Saudi Arabia are expected to hit five regions, including Qassim, which will be getting the blunt end of the stick, experiencing the worst conditions among its 17 governorates.
Dust events on #27_January_2026 across #Saudi_Arabia and the region, with a regional total of 55 dust hours, including 32h in Saudi Arabia and 23h in Yemen.#نرصد_نبحث_نحذر pic.twitter.com/Ddokg2lOGe
— المركز الإقليمي للعواصف الغبارية والرملية (@SDSCKSA) January 28, 2026
The centre also warned that the Qassim region will be impacted by blowing dust, accompanied by strong winds and a reduction in horizontal visibility of three to five kilometres in the city of Buraidah and the governorates of Unaizah, Al-Rass, Al-Mudhnib, and Al- Nabhaniyah among others.
According to Saudi Gazette, the storms will also be hitting Riyadh Al-Khobra, Diriyah, Uqlat Al-Suqur, Uyun Al-Jawaa, Abanat, Al-Asyah, Al-Badai, Al-Bukayriyah, Al-Shamasiyah, Al-Thamiriyah Centre, Al-Khobra, Al-Ammar, and Al-Fawarah.
In the report issued on Tuesday, the National Centre of Meteorology predicted that active winds stirring up dust and sand would continue to affect parts of Najran, Riyadh, Qassim, Hail, and the Northern Borders regions.
We’re also expecting light rain in parts of Jazan, Asir, and the highlands of Makkah, with a chance of fog formation in some of these areas, as well as along the coastal areas of the Eastern Province.
That’s not all, though. Al-Baha is expected to experience rain accompanied by active winds, reduced horizontal visibility, and thunderstorms, affecting Al-Makhwah, Qalwah, Al-Hajrah, Ghamid Al-Zanad, and surrounding areas.
Strong winds are also expected in the Hail region, affecting open areas and highways, leading to reduced horizontal visibility and wind speeds reaching 40 to 49 kilometres per hour.
Earlier this week, it was reported by the National Centre for Meteorology that moderate to heavy rain, leading to flash floods and accompanied by hail, may fall in parts of the Qassim, Northern Borders, Eastern, and Riyadh regions. Read more here.
Visit: ncm.gov.sa
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