Can the Buwarah winds prevent rain in southwestern Saudi Arabia?

Meteorologists at the Arab Weather Regional Center have recorded a significant decline in cloud cover and rainfall in the southwest of the Kingdom, particularly in Asir and Al-Baha, in recent days, compared to last week. This coincides with the onset of the active Al-Bawarih winds in the north and east of the Arabian Peninsula. This raises questions about the relationship between the activity of Al-Bawarih winds in the north and east of the Arabian Peninsula, and the weak rainfall in its southwest. Is there a direct link between these two phenomena?

Can the Buwarah winds prevent rain in southwestern Saudi Arabia?

Al-Bawarih winds are one of the most prominent summer weather phenomena in the Gulf region and northern Arabia. They are characterized by being a dry, fast, northerly to northeasterly wind, typically active between May and July. They are known for their effect in raising dust and reducing horizontal visibility.

What's interesting, however, is that the impact of these winds is not limited to the areas they blow directly over. Rather, they extend to the southwestern reaches of the peninsula, via subtle atmospheric mechanisms related to the distribution of air masses. Seasonal rains in the southwest of the Kingdom rely on the flow of moisture from tropical regions, which collides with the mountainous highlands and leads to the formation of rain-bearing cumulus clouds.

Al-Bawarih winds cut off the moisture tide from the highlands of the southwest of the Kingdom.

However, when the Buwarih winds become active, they cause a change in the airflow pattern, pushing the southern moisture away towards the south and preventing it from penetrating into the highlands. This mechanism deprives the atmosphere of the most important element for cloud formation: humidity, even when the temperature and terrain are suitable.

Dry winds flow in the upper atmosphere

In addition to their surface effects, barih winds sometimes contribute to atmospheric stability by bringing dry air into the upper atmosphere, a condition known in meteorology as "inhibition." This condition prevents moist air from rising from the surface, reducing the chances of cumulus clouds developing, and thus leading to a lack of rain activity, even under favorable ground conditions.