In this Nov. 24, 2015 image released by the Saudi Press Agency, SPA, a car drives on a flooded street in Al-Qassim Region, west of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Temperatures have started to fall below zero in some areas of Saudi Arabia and the present cool temperatures may last for 40 days.

Hail ranked first in regards to low temperatures, according to the early warning center of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME). Its temperature fell to three below zero and Turaif recorded two below zero with Al-Qurrayat and Sakaka recording one degree below zero.

Mansour Al-Mazroui, director of the Climate Research Center at King Abdul Aziz University, described 2015 as a year of environmental changes, pointing to the presence of many unusual climatic phenomena this year.

“Climate changes that have been seen on the local, Arabic and regional levels include low temperatures in addition to rain and wind,” he said.

According to him, the Saudi climate is not isolated from the global climate. “The increased fluctuations of temperatures on the surface of the Pacific Ocean during the past decades have influenced the climate in a number of countries,” he said.

Hussein Al-Qahtani, a spokesman for the PME, said the Kingdom would be affected by a cold front and low temperatures in addition to surface winds that cause dust. This will limit the scope of vision in the Northern Borders, especially its eastern parts. Qassim, Riyadh and the Eastern Province will be affected as well.

He added that eastern winds stirring dust will limit vision in Makkah and Madinah, and extend to coastal areas. He said there was a chance of frost in the northern and central parts of the Kingdom, in addition to low and rainy clouds that will form over Asir, Jazan and coastal areas.

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