What is the story about?
Saudi Arabia, a nation famous for its sand dunes, is witnessing rare snowfall in some parts of the country. This week, in Tabuk and Al-Jawf regions of the Middle
Eastern kingdom, the desert terrain was covered with snow. Whilst snowfall isn't common in the country, it isn't completely unheard of either. Back in January 1973, Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, received 20 centimeters of snow. Images of snow in Saudi Arabia have gone viral on social media.
So, why is it snowing in Saudi Arabia? According to the World Meteorological Organization, the Middle East is heating up more rapidly than other regions of the world. This has created a "warming paradox", which allows atmosphere to retain higher amount of moisture. This leads to more extreme weather events.
Read more: Why Is ‘Saudi Arabia Snowfall’ Trending On Google Trends Today? Is It Snowing In The Middle Eastern Country?
Moreover, the regions in Saudi Arabia which received snow aren't lowland but high-elevation areas. In many mountainous deserts around the world, snowfall is common, be it Leh in India, Mojave in the United States, Atacama in Chile.
For many people in Saudi Arabia, this is the first time they are witnessing a snowfall in their own country, as the last snowfall occurred nearly 30 years ago. In social media visuals, locals can be seen enjoying the rare weather event. Some children are playing with snowballs, some are attempting to ski, some are trying to create figurines with snow.
The National Centre of Meteorology (MRC) has asked people to exercise extreme caution during the severe weather event.
