National Center for Meteorology Forecasts Moderate to Heavy Rain Across Nine Saudi Regions

Moderate and heavy rain may fall in parts of nine Saudi regions, the National Center for Meteorology said in its weather forecast for Saturday. The regions named in the forecast are Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail. Dust-stirring winds will also blow in parts of these regions, according to the center. The forecast covers a wide band of the Kingdom, from the southwestern highlands through the central plateau and up to the north-central interior. For anyone living in or traveling through Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim or Hail, the day may bring rain of varying intensity, with the center describing the expected rainfall as moderate and heavy in parts of those areas. What does that combination of rain and dust-stirring winds mean for visibility and road conditions across such a broad stretch of the country?

The forecast was carried by the Saudi Press Agency, which reported the details attributed to the National Center for Meteorology. SPA published the outlook as the weather forecast for Saturday, listing the regions where rain may fall and the marine conditions expected on the Kingdom’s two coasts. The agency’s report also set out wind speeds and wave heights for the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, giving a fuller picture of conditions at sea alongside the land forecast. With nine regions named for possible rain and dust-stirring winds, how should residents in the affected areas plan their Saturday routines around the changing conditions?

According to the National Center for Meteorology, moderate and heavy rain may fall in parts of Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail regions. The same forecast states that dust-stirring winds will blow in parts of these regions. The pairing of rain and dust-stirring winds in the same outlook suggests that parts of the named regions could see both moisture and blowing dust within the forecast period, depending on local conditions. Does that mix of rain and dust-stirring winds change how people should prepare for the day in the affected regions?

Over the Red Sea, the center said winds will be northwesterly to northerly, reaching 12-35 km/h. Waves may range from half a meter to one meter and a half, and the sea will be calm to choppy. Those figures give sailors, fishermen and coastal visitors a clear sense of what to expect on the water, with wind speeds spanning a broad range and wave heights varying from half a meter up to one and a half meters. The description of the sea as calm to choppy matches that spread, indicating that conditions may differ from one part of the Red Sea to another during the day. How might the shift from calm to choppy conditions affect small craft on the Red Sea on Saturday?

In the Arabian Gulf, winds will be northwesterly to westerly at speeds of 15-35 km/h, according to the National Center for Meteorology. Waves may reach from half a meter to one meter and a half, and the sea will be calm to choppy. The Gulf outlook mirrors the Red Sea forecast in wave heights and sea state, while the wind speeds differ slightly, starting at 15 km/h rather than 12 km/h and reaching the same upper figure of 35 km/h. The wind directions also differ between the two bodies of water, with the Red Sea forecast northwesterly to northerly and the Arabian Gulf northwesterly to westerly. What do those differences in wind direction and speed tell mariners about conditions on each coast?

The land forecast names nine regions where moderate and heavy rain may fall in parts. They are Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail. The same nine regions are named for dust-stirring winds in parts. The forecast does not specify which parts of each region will see the heaviest rain or the strongest dust-stirring winds, nor does it give a timeline for when conditions may develop during the day. It also does not state expected rainfall amounts or temperatures for any of the named regions. Should travelers crossing between these regions on Saturday build extra time into their plans given the forecast?

The National Center for Meteorology’s forecast for Saturday therefore covers both the Kingdom’s land areas and its two coastlines. On land, moderate and heavy rain may fall in parts of Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail, and dust-stirring winds will blow in parts of these regions. At sea, the Red Sea will see northwesterly to northerly winds of 12-35 km/h with waves from half a meter to one meter and a half and a calm to choppy sea. The Arabian Gulf will see northwesterly to westerly winds of 15-35 km/h with waves from half a meter to one meter and a half and a calm to choppy sea. How often do the Kingdom’s land and marine forecasts align this closely in a single daily outlook?

SPA reported the forecast at 13:55 local time, 10:55 GMT, under the headline Weather Forecast for Saturday. The report carried the National Center for Meteorology’s details on the regions where rain may fall, the dust-stirring winds expected in parts of those regions, and the wind and wave conditions for the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. The agency’s item was dated Riyadh, April 19, 2025. For readers across the nine named regions, the outlook offers a single reference point for both inland and coastal conditions on Saturday. What should residents of the named regions watch for first as Saturday begins?

Among the details the forecast does not include are specific rainfall totals, the timing of the rain within the day, temperature readings, or a breakdown of which localities within each region are most likely to see heavy rain rather than moderate rain. It also does not state how long the dust-stirring winds may last or how far visibility could drop in the affected areas. The marine forecast does not give hour-by-hour wind or wave projections for either the Red Sea or the Arabian Gulf. Does the absence of those specifics make it harder to plan a Saturday trip on land or at sea?

The forecast’s land and sea components together cover a large share of the Kingdom. The nine regions named for possible rain and dust-stirring winds stretch from Najran, Jazan, Aseer and Al-Baha in the southwest, through Makkah and Madinah in the west, to Riyadh and Qassim in the center and Hail further north. The Red Sea forecast applies to the Kingdom’s western coastline, while the Arabian Gulf forecast applies to the eastern coastline. With both coasts described as calm to choppy and both carrying the same wave range of half a meter to one meter and a half, what does that say about the overall pattern the center is tracking?

For the Red Sea, the center’s figures of 12-35 km/h for northwesterly to northerly winds and waves of half a meter to one meter and a half describe a range rather than a single condition, meaning conditions may vary across the water during the day. The same is true for the Arabian Gulf, where northwesterly to westerly winds of 15-35 km/h and waves of half a meter to one meter and a half are expected, with the sea calm to choppy. Mariners and coastal visitors in both areas would face the possibility of calmer stretches and choppier stretches within the same day. How should small boats and recreational vessels respond to a forecast that spans calm and choppy conditions?

The National Center for Meteorology’s forecast for Saturday, as carried by SPA, is a daily outlook rather than a long-range projection. It names the regions where moderate and heavy rain may fall in parts, the regions where dust-stirring winds will blow in parts, and the wind and wave conditions for the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. It does not extend beyond Saturday or compare conditions with previous days. For anyone in Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim or Hail, the forecast is the center’s stated expectation for the day. What would residents most want the next update to clarify about Saturday’s weather?

SPA’s report also notes the local and GMT times of publication, 13:55 local time and 10:55 GMT, placing the forecast in the afternoon of April 19, 2025, ahead of Saturday. The item is attributed to the National Center for Meteorology and carries the agency’s standard closing credit. The forecast’s scope is limited to the elements it lists: rain of moderate and heavy intensity in parts of nine regions, dust-stirring winds in parts of those regions, and the wind, wave and sea-state details for the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. With those elements in hand, how should households in the named regions adjust their Saturday plans?

Looking at the two marine forecasts side by side, the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf share the same wave range of half a meter to one meter and a half and the same calm to choppy sea state, while their wind speeds and directions differ. The Red Sea forecast calls for northwesterly to northerly winds at 12-35 km/h; the Arabian Gulf forecast calls for northwesterly to westerly winds at 15-35 km/h. Both forecasts use ranges rather than fixed values, reflecting the variability the center expects across each body of water. What do those shared wave heights but differing wind directions suggest about the day’s weather pattern over the Kingdom’s coasts?

The land side of the forecast names nine regions for possible moderate and heavy rain in parts and for dust-stirring winds in parts. The center does not rank the regions by expected intensity, nor does it say which of the nine may see heavy rain rather than moderate rain. It also does not specify whether the dust-stirring winds are expected before, during or after any rainfall in the affected areas. Readers in Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail are left with the center’s regional-level outlook as the basis for their Saturday planning. How useful is a regional forecast when conditions can differ sharply within a single region?

SPA’s weather forecast for Saturday, sourced to the National Center for Meteorology, thus presents a dual picture: rain and dust-stirring winds over parts of nine regions on land, and calm to choppy seas with moderate winds off both coasts. The report gives wind speeds in kilometers per hour and wave heights in meters, and it describes the sea state in both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf as calm to choppy. It does not add temperatures, humidity, rainfall totals or hourly timing. For readers deciding how to spend Saturday, the forecast’s value lies in the regions and conditions it names. What is the first thing you would check before heading out on Saturday in one of the named regions?

Finally, the forecast leaves several questions open by design or omission: which localities within each region will see the heaviest rain, when the rain may begin or end, how strong the dust-stirring winds may become, and how conditions may change through the day on either coast. The National Center for Meteorology’s outlook, as reported by SPA, provides the regional and marine framework for Saturday without those finer details. Residents of Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail, along with mariners on the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, can use the named conditions as their starting point. What additional detail would make this forecast more actionable for your Saturday?

Which regions may see moderate and heavy rain on Saturday? According to the National Center for Meteorology, moderate and heavy rain may fall in parts of Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail regions. The same forecast states that dust-stirring winds will blow in parts of these regions. The center’s outlook covers nine regions in all, stretching from the southwest through the west and center to the north-central interior, and it describes the expected rainfall as moderate and heavy in parts of those areas.

What are the expected wind and wave conditions on the Red Sea? The National Center for Meteorology said winds over the Red Sea will be northwesterly to northerly, reaching 12-35 km/h. Waves may range from half a meter to one meter and a half, and the sea will be calm to choppy. Those figures describe a range of conditions rather than a single fixed value, indicating that wind speeds and wave heights may vary across the Red Sea during the forecast period.

What are the expected wind and wave conditions in the Arabian Gulf? In the Arabian Gulf, winds will be northwesterly to westerly at speeds of 15-35 km/h, according to the National Center for Meteorology. Waves may reach from half a meter to one meter and a half, and the sea will be calm to choppy. The Gulf forecast shares the same wave range and sea state as the Red Sea outlook, while its wind speeds start at 15 km/h and its direction is northwesterly to westerly.

Does the forecast say when the rain may fall or how much may fall? The forecast does not specify the timing of the rain within the day, nor does it give expected rainfall totals for any of the named regions. It states that moderate and heavy rain may fall in parts of Najran, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail, and that dust-stirring winds will blow in parts of these regions. It also does not rank the regions by expected intensity or state which localities may see heavy rather than moderate rain.

Who issued the Saturday weather forecast and how was it reported? The forecast is attributed to the National Center for Meteorology and was carried by the Saudi Press Agency under the headline Weather Forecast for Saturday. SPA reported the item at 13:55 local time, 10:55 GMT, dated Riyadh, April 19, 2025. The report sets out the regions where rain may fall, the dust-stirring winds expected in parts of those regions, and the wind, wave and sea-state details for the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.