A tropical cyclone in Riyadh...an exceptional weather event in Saudi Arabia in 1992

Arab Weather - On October 1, 1992, the Arabian Peninsula experienced a rare and exceptional weather event known as the Rub' al-Khali Cyclone. A tropical storm developed in the Arabian Sea and quickly transformed into a devastating hurricane, heading directly toward the coast of the Sultanate of Oman and striking it hard.

hurricane path

After crossing Oman, the cyclone continued its unusual path toward the Rub' al Khali desert in Saudi Arabia. This inland penetration was exceptional, as the cyclone continued to rotate and influence the region until it reached central Saudi Arabia, including the capital, Riyadh, before turning south toward the southwestern regions of the Kingdom and then toward Yemen as a deep depression.

The Rub' al-Khali cyclone is a rare occurrence in the region's history, as tropical cyclones often lose their strength quickly upon making landfall. However, the weather conditions at the time allowed the cyclone to sustain its strength for long distances in the desert, making it an exceptional event.

The role of the brown effect phenomenon

One of the factors that helps the hurricane continue its strength inland is a phenomenon known as the Brown Ocean Effect, which occurs when two main elements are present:

The land is saturated with rainwater before the eye of the hurricane leaves the ocean.

High temperature of wet ground after rainfall.

These two elements provide the cyclone with greater energy than ocean water, both in terms of moisture and heat, allowing it to ignite and develop rather than weaken and fade. The flat nature of the Rub' al Khali desert and the absence of mountainous terrain helped enhance this phenomenon, as the rotating air mass faced no obstacles to weaken its movement, allowing the cyclone to persist for a rare long period.