Dust and sand storms prompt orange and red alerts across Saudi Arabia

RIYADH — The National Center for Meteorology (NCM) has issued orange and red weather warnings for several regions across Saudi Arabia due to dust and sand storms expected to significantly reduce visibility. The NCM said the alerts, typically associated with heavy rainfall, have been issued in this case specifically for dust-related conditions rather than precipitation. Under the orange warning category, the Najran region — including Badr Al Janub, Thar, Khbash, Najran, Yadmah and Sharurah — is forecast to experience moderate to heavy dust storms from 12 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Sunday, with visibility expected to be sharply reduced. Similar conditions are forecast in parts of the Riyadh region, including Al Dawadmi, Al Reen and Afif, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Red warnings have been issued for other parts of the Riyadh region, notably Al Aflaj, Al Sulayyil and Wadi Al Dawasir, where severe dust storms are expected to cause extremely low visibility, potentially dropping below one kilometer. These conditions are forecast from 10 a.m. on Sunday until 1 a.m. on Monday. The Eastern Province is also under a red warning for severe dust storms from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, according to the NCM. The warnings follow earlier alerts from the NCM about widespread dust storm activity affecting multiple regions of the Kingdom.