Dust-stirring winds are forecast to blow across parts of Riyadh, Najran, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, and the Eastern regions, while thunderstorms accompanied by hail and strong winds are expected in parts of Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, and Makkah regions, according to the National Center for Meteorology. The forecast, carried by the Saudi Press Agency, covers Tuesday and spans multiple regions of the Kingdom at once, from the central and eastern expanses to the southwestern highlands and the coastal corridors along the Red Sea. With so many regions named in a single bulletin, how prepared are residents in each area for the mix of airborne dust and storm activity headed their way?
SPA reported the details on March 25, 2025, from Riyadh, citing the National Center for Meteorology as the source of the outlook. The bulletin separates the Kingdom into zones of concern: one set of regions faces dust-stirring winds, while another set faces thunderstorms with hail and strong winds. That split matters for anyone planning travel, outdoor work, or road trips on Tuesday. If your region appears on both the wind and storm lists, which of the two conditions is likely to shape your day more?
Two Weather Patterns Across the Kingdom
The dust-stirring winds are expected in parts of Riyadh, Najran, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, and the Eastern regions. These are among the most populous and most traveled parts of Saudi Arabia, and airborne dust can reduce visibility and affect daily movement. The forecast does not specify exact hours for the dust, nor does it name particular cities within each region. Does that regional-level detail give you enough to plan your Tuesday, or would you want a city-by-city breakdown?
At the same time, thunderstorms accompanied by hail and strong winds are expected in parts of Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, and Makkah regions. Hail and strong winds together suggest unsettled conditions in these areas, and Makkah region appears in both the dust-wind list and the thunderstorm list. That overlap means parts of Makkah region could see dust-stirring winds as well as thunderstorms with hail and strong winds. How should residents in those overlapping areas weigh the two risks when the bulletin does not say which comes first?
The marine outlook adds another layer. Over the Red Sea, winds will be northeasterly to northwesterly, reaching 20-40 km/h in the northern and central parts, and northwesterly to westerly, reaching 15-50 km/h in the southern part. Waves may range from half a meter to over two meters, and the sea will be calm to choppy. That is a wide range of wind speeds and wave heights across one body of water. For sailors and fishermen, does a “calm to choppy” description tell you enough to decide whether to head out?
In the Arabian Gulf, winds will be northwesterly at speeds of 25-50 km/h. Waves may range from one and a half meters to three meters, and the sea will be calm to choppy. Compared with the Red Sea, the Gulf outlook shows a narrower wind direction but a higher top wind speed and higher wave range. If you work on the water in the Gulf, how do you read a forecast that pairs calm conditions with waves that may reach three meters?
The National Center for Meteorology is the body behind these figures, and SPA carried the bulletin without additional commentary. The forecast names regions rather than individual cities, gives wind speed ranges rather than single figures, and describes sea conditions on a calm-to-choppy scale. Those choices are typical of a national weather bulletin, but they leave room for interpretation at the local level. Would a neighborhood-level forecast change how you prepare for Tuesday?
For people in Riyadh, Najran, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, and the Eastern regions, the headline risk is dust in the air. Dust-stirring winds can coat vehicles, seep into homes, and complicate breathing for those sensitive to airborne particles. The bulletin does not state how long the winds will last or how dense the dust will be. Without that detail, what steps would you take in advance, and which would you leave until the day itself?
For people in Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, and Makkah regions, the headline risk is thunderstorms with hail and strong winds. Hail can damage crops and property, and strong winds can accompany the storms. The forecast does not say how severe the hail might be or where within each region the storms will concentrate. If you live in one of these areas, does a regional warning push you to change plans, or do you wait for conditions to develop?
The Red Sea and Arabian Gulf outlooks matter for a different audience: sailors, fishermen, and operators of vessels large and small. On the Red Sea, the northern and central parts face northeasterly to northwesterly winds at 20-40 km/h, while the southern part faces northwesterly to westerly winds at 15-50 km/h. Waves may range from half a meter to over two meters. On the Arabian Gulf, northwesterly winds at 25-50 km/h accompany waves that may range from one and a half meters to three meters. Both seas are described as calm to choppy. Which of those two basins would you rather cross on Tuesday, given those numbers?
The bulletin does not include temperatures, humidity levels, or a timeline for when conditions will peak. It also does not specify which cities within each named region will see the strongest effects. Those gaps are not unusual for a national forecast, but they shape how the public uses it. Do you treat a regional forecast as a general heads-up, or do you look for a more localized source before making decisions?
SPA published the forecast at 10:33 local time, 07:33 GMT, under bulletin number 0020. The timing means the outlook was available during the morning hours, giving residents and mariners the better part of the day to consider it. Still, the forecast covers Tuesday as a whole, and conditions can shift. How often do you check for updates when a forecast covers an entire day rather than specific hours?
Across the Kingdom, the forecast touches regions from the Red Sea coast to the Arabian Gulf, and from the northern areas of Tabuk to the southern areas of Jazan. That breadth means millions of residents fall under at least one of the listed conditions. The National Center for Meteorology issued the details through SPA, and no further specifics were included in the bulletin. If your region is named, what is the first thing you check when a dust or storm forecast reaches you?
The dust-stirring winds and the thunderstorms are presented as separate phenomena affecting separate sets of regions, with Makkah region appearing in both. That overlap is the one point where the bulletin’s two main threads intersect. For anyone in Makkah region, the day could bring dust in the air and storms with hail and strong winds. How would you prepare for both possibilities at once?
Mariners on the Red Sea face a split outlook: calmer wind speeds in the northern and central parts, and a wider range in the southern part. Waves may range from half a meter to over two meters across the sea, and the sea will be calm to choppy. On the Arabian Gulf, the wind direction is consistent from the northwest, but speeds reach 25-50 km/h and waves may range from one and a half meters to three meters. If you had to choose between the two seas based only on this bulletin, which set of numbers would you trust more?
The forecast does not say whether the dust-stirring winds or the thunderstorms will come first, nor whether either will persist into the night. It also does not connect the conditions to any broader weather system. What the bulletin does provide is a region-by-region snapshot: dust for Riyadh, Najran, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, and the Eastern regions; thunderstorms with hail and strong winds for Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, and Makkah regions; and specific wind and wave ranges for the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Is that snapshot enough for you to plan Tuesday with confidence?
SPA’s report ends with the agency’s initials, marking the bulletin as an official transmission. The National Center for Meteorology remains the source for the figures, and the regions and ranges are as stated. No city-level detail, hourly timing, or severity scale was included. For readers across the Kingdom, the practical question is simple: does your Tuesday involve dust, storms, or a sea crossing, and how will you adjust?
Which regions are expected to see dust-stirring winds on Tuesday? According to the National Center for Meteorology, dust-stirring winds will blow in parts of Riyadh, Najran, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, and the Eastern regions. The forecast, carried by SPA, names these regions but does not specify individual cities or exact hours for the dust. That means residents across a wide band of the Kingdom, from the central and eastern areas to the northern and southwestern regions, fall under the wind advisory. The bulletin also does not state how dense the dust will be or how long the winds will last.
Where are thunderstorms with hail and strong winds expected? Thunderstorms accompanied by hail and strong winds are expected in parts of Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, and Makkah regions, per the National Center for Meteorology forecast published by SPA. These areas are in the southwestern and western parts of the Kingdom. Makkah region appears in both the dust-wind list and the thunderstorm list, so parts of it could see both conditions. The bulletin does not say how severe the hail might be or where within each region the storms will concentrate.
What are the Red Sea wind and wave conditions in the forecast? Over the Red Sea, winds will be northeasterly to northwesterly, reaching 20-40 km/h in the northern and central parts, and northwesterly to westerly, reaching 15-50 km/h in the southern part. Waves may range from half a meter to over two meters, and the sea will be calm to choppy. Those figures come from the National Center for Meteorology via SPA. The bulletin gives ranges rather than single values, so conditions could vary across the sea during Tuesday.
What does the forecast say about the Arabian Gulf? In the Arabian Gulf, winds will be northwesterly at speeds of 25-50 km/h, according to the National Center for Meteorology forecast carried by SPA. Waves may range from one and a half meters to three meters, and the sea will be calm to choppy. Compared with the Red Sea outlook, the Gulf shows a consistent northwesterly direction but a higher top wind speed and higher wave range. The bulletin does not specify how conditions will change through the day.
Does the forecast include temperatures or a timeline for Tuesday? No. The bulletin issued by the National Center for Meteorology and carried by SPA lists dust-stirring winds, thunderstorms with hail and strong winds, and Red Sea and Arabian Gulf wind and wave conditions. It does not include temperatures, humidity levels, or a timeline for when conditions will peak. It also does not say whether the dust or the storms will come first, nor whether either will persist into the night. Readers looking for hourly detail would need a more localized source.