Overnight downpour heralds onset of winter in Riyadh

RIYADH: An overnight downpour in Riyadh led to a drop in mercury in the Saudi capital on Monday.
The maximum temperature nosedived to 22 degrees Celsius on Sunday and 23 degrees Celsius on Monday, the lowest recorded temperature thus far in Riyadh during this time of the year.
The sky remained heavily overcast in the city and sporadic rain on Monday gave the metropolis a new fresh look. The showers heralded the onset of winter in the capital.
Starting with drizzle on Saturday night, heavy to moderate rain was experienced in the capital on Sunday.
Earlier, the General Authority for Meteorology and Environment had forecast that various regions of the Kingdom including Riyadh would experience inclement weather that might continue till Thursday with the maximum temperature predicted below 30 degrees for the entire week.
Besides Riyadh, moderate to heavy thundershowers were forecast for Al-Qassim, Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha, Makkah and Madinah regions, whereas thundershowers preceded by dust storms, causing low visibility, were predicted for the Eastern Province, Wadi Al-Dawasir and Hail region.
Following the forecast by the authority, the Directorate General of Civil Defense issued an alert about inclement weather.
The Civil Defense sent alerts via text messages in Arabic and English advising people to stay away from valleys and water pools.
The traffic department also advised people to drive carefully and avoid speeding.
However, city dwellers were happy with the welcome change in the weather that gave a much-needed respite.
They are enjoying the tryst with winter after a long summer.
The precipitation level in the capital was recorded at 79 percent while humidity level was pegged at 62 percent on Monday.

Overnight downpour heralds onset of winter in Riyadh