Saudi Arabia | With the growing La Nina phenomenon... does this herald a recurrence of Siberian cold waves in the coming months?

Arab Weather - Meteorologists at the Arab Weather Regional Center are following the latest developments in the slow and weak development of the La Niña phenomenon and its potential impacts on the Kingdom and all regions of the Arabian Peninsula, as the surface temperature of the Pacific Ocean has witnessed a decrease from climate rates by about one and a half to two degrees, especially in the eastern and central regions.

This is due to strong trade winds that push warm water away from the coasts of South America, allowing cold water from the depths to rise to the surface, and this is accompanied by an increase in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific Ocean and a decrease in pressure in the western Pacific Ocean.

Our statistical studies at the Arab Weather Regional Center indicate that the La Niña phenomenon is often accompanied by weather patterns that affect all regions of the northern hemisphere, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it is statistically linked to the intensification of the Siberian high and its extension towards the Kingdom, which causes the recurrence of cold, dry waves and affects the performance of the general rainy season, rainfall amounts, temperatures and dust waves in the Kingdom and all regions of the Arabian Peninsula. These effects can be summarized as follows:

Potential impacts of La Niña on Saudi Arabia statistically:

• Rainfall: La Niña seasons are often associated with a decrease in rainfall in all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with weather conditions spaced out, interspersed with long periods of stability and rain interruptions.

• Increased chances of dust: As a result of the scarcity and spacing of rainfall during the La Niña seasons in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the soil becomes increasingly dry and the sand becomes loose, making it easily blown away by any wind activity, resulting in increased chances of dust waves.

• Temperatures: La Niña seasons are statistically linked to an increase in the number of days in which the Siberian high controls the Kingdom’s atmosphere, which is reflected in temperatures and increases the chances of cold waves.