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

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

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

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

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