Weather In The Middle East

[Mark]

TCM warns that Turaif will actually cool further, to -3C (27F).

Frost has coated plants — a rare sight for the region, and residents have been urged to take necessary precautions to safeguard against the usual and persistent chill.
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/saudi-arabias-rare-freeze-japanshe Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia has registered -2C (28F), according to the National Center of Meteorology (NCM).

A cold snap is sweeping across much of the Kingdom, with forecasts predicting continued freezing conditions and widespread frost throughout the week, particularly in northern parts.

https://electroverse.substack.com/p/saudi-arabias-rare-freeze-japans

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[Mark]

Iraq has been experiencing a harsh winter in recent days, with the Meteorological Organization and Seismology in the country predicting that temperatures will remain below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) with rain and snow falling across large areas.

While snowfall in the mountainous areas of northern Iraq, such as Sulaymaniyah, seems common every year, it is rare in Anbar province in western Iraq and Kirkuk province in the country's north.

The northern outskirts and southwestern parts of Kirkuk were heavily snow-covered.

Snow also fell in Anbar province's desert areas, and footage posted on social media captured the gorgeous landscapes in various parts of the country.
https://www.sott.net/article/498083-Snow-covers-desert-areas-in-Iraq

[Mark]

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to deploy on Wednesday to support firefighters battling rapidly spreading wildfires near Jerusalem, calling the situation a "national emergency".

The country's Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue agency reported hundreds of civilians were currently at risk from the fires.

Sixteen people were being treated for minor injuries from smoke inhalation, the MDA said, adding the alert level had been raised to the highest level.

Police closed the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and evacuated residents along the route as brushfires broke out again in an area ravaged by blazes a week ago.

"We are facing a national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilised to save lives and bring the fires under control," Katz said in a statement from his ministry.

https://www.sott.net/article/499321-Israel-deploys-troops-to-control-massive-wildfires-near-Jerusalem

[Mark]

A powerful dust storm has blanketed large parts of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, triggering travel disruptions, flash floods and emergency evacuations.

Authorities in all three countries have issued red alerts and warned of further weather instability in the coming days.

Saudi Arabia: In central Saudi Arabia, residents of Al Qassim province witnessed a rare and dramatic phenomenon described as a "wall of dust" that swept through the region on Sunday, reducing visibility to near zero and prompting widespread safety warnings.

Videos shared on social media showed the sky turning orange as the storm surged forward like a towering wave, blocking out sunlight.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/080qLc8whew?feature=share
https://www.sott.net/article/499408-Massive-dust-storm-hits-Saudi-Arabia-Kuwait-and-Jordan-triggering-travel-chaos-and-flash-floods

[Mark]

Cool, wet conditions have swept southwest Saudi Arabia and neighboring Yemen this week, delivering record-breaking cold.

The Saudi coastal city of Gizan has registered a max of just 30.5C (87F) — making for the coldest August day ever recorded there.

While in Yemen, notably the highland villages, overnight lows tanked to 7C (45F), in Saada — again, an extraordinary chill for this time of year.

Persistent rains and cloud cover have accompanied the temperature drop, with local forecasts calling for ongoing showers across the Yemeni highlands (Ibb, Taiz, Dhamar, Al Bayda, Raymah, Hajjah, Saada, Amran, Sanaa) as well as southern Saudi Arabia.

https://electroverse.substack.com/p/record-august-chill-hits-yemen-and

[Mark]

Torrential rains have triggered dangerous flash floods across Saudi Arabia, leaving streets submerged and traffic disrupted.
https://www.sott.net/article/501544-Heavy-rains-spark-flash-floods-streets-submerged-across-Saudi-Arabia-cities

[Mark]

Forecasts show a continued cool-down across Saudi Arabia, with overnight lows slipping well below seasonal norms.

A cooler air mass continues to dominate the northern sector of the Kingdom, dragging nights lower. Areas such as Jabal Al Lawz will see the sharpest drops, down to around 12C (54F), with nearby Al Uqlan and surrounding mountains posting similar lows.

In Tabuk itself, dawn readings of 19C (66F) are on the cards — very cool compared to the late-summer heat typical of the region. Similar conditions are expected further east in Al-Jawf and along the Jordanian border.

For mid-September in Saudi Arabia, such lows are considered impressive.
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/saudi-arabia-chills-early-snow-hits

[Mark]

Authorities in Iran have sprayed clouds with chemicals to induce rain, in an attempt to combat the country's worst drought in decades.

Known as cloud-seeding, the process was conducted over the Urmia lake basin on Saturday, Iran's official news agency Irna reported.

Urmia is Iran's largest lake, but has largely dried out leaving a vast salt bed. Further operations will be carried out in east and west Azerbaijan, the agency said.

Rainfall is at record lows and reservoirs are nearly empty. Last week President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that if there is not enough rainfall soon, Tehran's water supply could be rationed and people may be evacuated from the capital.

Cloud seeding involves injecting chemical salts including silver or potassium iodide into clouds via aircraft or through generators on the ground. Water vapour can then condense more easily and turn into rain.

The technique has been around for decades, and the UAE has used it in recent years to help address water shortages.

Iran's meteorological organisation said rainfall had decreased by about 89% this year compared with the long-term average, Irna reported.

"We are currently experiencing the driest autumn the country has experienced in 50 years," it added.

Officials have also announced plans to penalise households and businesses that consume excessive amounts of water.
https://www.sott.net/article/503026-Iran-begins-cloud-seeding-to-induce-rain-amid-historic-drought

[Mark]

A severe winter outbreak has locked down the Kurdish regions of western Iran near the Iraqi border, with extreme cold and heavy snowfall cutting off hundreds of villages and crippling infrastructure.

In Iran’s Urmia province, Takab plunged to -17C (1F), with Chaldiran following closely at -15C (5F).

Even the ‘warmest’ Urmia town, Naqadeh, held below freezing at -2.2C (28F).

The cold was accompanied by intense snowfall, with blizzard conditions rendering many roads impassable.




In neighboring Sanandaj province, the situation escalated into a full-scale emergency. Snowstorms blocked access to 400 villages, with electricity also going down for the majority. Communications collapsed in 100 villages after phone and internet lines failed.

Road closures have effectively isolated large areas. Nearly all major routes into Sina city are shut, including the key Salwatabad–Dehgolan and Mariwan–Sina roads.

Army units have been deployed to rescue stranded travelers, particularly along the Takab–Saqqez road, where vehicles are trapped by drifting snow — of more than a meter (3.3 feet). Authorities have also invoked emergency powers to seize private-sector heavy machinery to clear roads.

Rare flakes even hit Qamishli, Syria:




Forecasts show no immediate relief, with extreme lows and heavy snows expected to persist midweek.
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/kurdistan-paralyzed-by-cold-and-snow

[Mark]

Heavy rain, strong winds, and localized flooding struck Israel overnight and into Tuesday as a winter storm swept across the country, disrupting transportation, causing property damage, and prompting multiple emergency rescues.

Meteorological officials said the system is expected to gradually weaken later in the day, with unsettled weather continuing through the end of the week.

Rainfall totals varied widely, with some of the heaviest precipitation recorded in northern and central areas. Majdal Shams, in the northern Golan Heights, reported about 60 millimeters of rain, while Jerusalem received 41 millimeters. Haifa recorded 27 millimeters and Tel Aviv 22 millimeters.

Snow fell on Mount Hermon, accumulating to roughly 15 centimeters overnight, leading authorities to keep the ski site closed to visitors until at least Thursday.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/z2Xuev4edMk?feature=share

https://www.sott.net/article/504014-Flooding-high-winds-snow-disrupt-roads-flights-as-storm-sweeps-Israel