Saudi Arabia to experience Sudden Climate Changes: Dr Almazroui

Jeddah, March 22, SPA -- The Head of Department of Meteorology at the
Jeddah-based King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Dr Mansour Almazroui
has announced that the spring season in Saudi Arabia is characterized
by sudden and extreme changes of weather, particularly in the north,
middle and east of the Kingdom.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Dr. Almazroui, who is an
expert in the field of climate changes, said that these sudden
changes reach an optimum level in the month of April, consequently
show decline until May.


Dr. Almazroui said he expects sudden climate changes in spring
season over Saudi Arabia with an increasing number of occurrence of
dust storms caused by the passage of depressions that may cause
reduction of visibility and can be followed by rainfall.

He stressed that the frequency of the occurrence of the dust storms
may be caused by pressure and temperature gradients and active
surface winds due to the encounter between southerly and hot
south-easterly winds associated with an extension of the 'Red Sea
Trough', moving north and north east of Saudi Arabia, and cold
north-westerly winds associated with the Mediterranean depressions
passing north of Saudi Arabia. "These results in convergence in a
small localized region associated with updrafts and downdrafts
leading to dust initiating the upper atmosphere and may lead to
precipitation and thunderstorms".