Winter officially begins Monday: Rainfall, hail and thunderstorms expected in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia will officially enter meteorological winter on Monday, December 1, the National Center for Meteorology (NCM) has confirmed.

Temperatures are expected to gradually drop across the Kingdom, reports Saudi Gazette.

"Several areas are likely to see continued rainfall over the coming days," said Hussein Al Qahtani, NCM spokesperson, quoted by Saudi Gazette.

The first rainy spell of December is expected to start next Sunday, bringing moderate to heavy showers to regions recently affected, including Madinah, Hail, the Makkah highlands, the southern Makkah coast, and other parts of the country.

The NCM has also warned of moderate thunderstorms with hail and strong winds in Jazan, Asir, and Al Baha.

Fog may form in these regions as well as in the Eastern Province. Dust and sand stirred up by surface winds are expected in Makkah, Madinah, Hail, Tabuk, and Al Jouf.

Over the Red Sea, winds will blow northwesterly to northerly at 10–28 km/h in the northern and central parts, and southerly to southeasterly at 15–40 km/h in the south.

Gusts could reach 50 km/h near rain-bearing thunderstorms close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Wave heights will range from 0.5–1 metre in the north and central parts, and 1–2 metres in the south, exceeding 2 metres near thunderstorms.

The sea state will be slight in the north and central areas, and moderate to rough in the south.

Al Qahtani said that while most of the Kingdom will enjoy relatively stable and pleasant weather, residents should stay alert for localized storms, heavy rainfall, and strong winds in affected areas.