Torrential Rains in 7 Saudi Regions, Riyadh Records Highest Precipitation Level

Heavy rains in the Riyadh (Photo by: Bashir Saleh)
Heavy rains in the Riyadh (Photo by: Bashir Saleh)
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Torrential Rains in 7 Saudi Regions, Riyadh Records Highest Precipitation Level

Heavy rains in the Riyadh (Photo by: Bashir Saleh)
Heavy rains in the Riyadh (Photo by: Bashir Saleh)

The National Center of Meteorology said that moderate to heavy thunderstorms, accompanied by active winds stirring dust and hail showers, are likely to cause torrential rains in parts of the regions of Al-Jawf, Al-Qassim, Al-Sharqiya, Asir, Al-Baha, and Makkah Al-Mukarramah, while light to moderate rain is expected in parts of Hail, Najran, Jazan, and Tabuk regions.

The center added that surface winds will be active, causing dust, which may harm horizontal visibility over parts of the regions of Hail, Al-Qassim, Al-Jawf, Tabuk, and the eastern parts of the regions of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Medina.

The Riyadh region recorded the highest average amounts of rainfall, at 26 mm in Shaqra Governorate. The National Center of Meteorology warned of the continued rainy conditions in the Riyadh region, which includes the capital, Riyadh, and the governorates of Diriyah, Huraymila, Rumah, Durma, Zulfi, Al-Ghat, Al-Majma’ah, Shaqra, Marat, and Thadig, accompanied by high-speed winds and lack of horizontal visibility, in addition to hail storms and torrential rains.

The center also warned of moderate rain conditions accompanied by active winds and almost no horizontal visibility in the governorates of Al-Aflaj, Al-Hareeq, Al-Kharj, Al-Dalam, Al-Muzahmiya, Hotat Bani Tamim, Al-Rain, and Al-Quwayiyah.

According to the daily report of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, which monitors rainfall amounts across Saudi regions, 84 hydrological and climatic monitoring stations recorded rainfall in the regions of Riyadh, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Al-Qassim, Al-Sharqiyah, Asir, the northern border, and Al-Jawf, from 9 am on Saturday until 9 am the next day.



Buyer Splashes Out $1.3 Million for Tokyo New Year Tuna

 The head of a 276-kilogram bluefin tuna that was auctioned for 207 million Japanese yen (about 1.3 million US dollars), which was bought jointly by sushi restaurant operator Onodera Group and wholesaler Yamayuki, is carried by a sushi chef at an Onodera sushi restaurant after the first tuna auction of the New Year in Tokyo, Japan January 5, 2025. (Reuters)
The head of a 276-kilogram bluefin tuna that was auctioned for 207 million Japanese yen (about 1.3 million US dollars), which was bought jointly by sushi restaurant operator Onodera Group and wholesaler Yamayuki, is carried by a sushi chef at an Onodera sushi restaurant after the first tuna auction of the New Year in Tokyo, Japan January 5, 2025. (Reuters)
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Buyer Splashes Out $1.3 Million for Tokyo New Year Tuna

 The head of a 276-kilogram bluefin tuna that was auctioned for 207 million Japanese yen (about 1.3 million US dollars), which was bought jointly by sushi restaurant operator Onodera Group and wholesaler Yamayuki, is carried by a sushi chef at an Onodera sushi restaurant after the first tuna auction of the New Year in Tokyo, Japan January 5, 2025. (Reuters)
The head of a 276-kilogram bluefin tuna that was auctioned for 207 million Japanese yen (about 1.3 million US dollars), which was bought jointly by sushi restaurant operator Onodera Group and wholesaler Yamayuki, is carried by a sushi chef at an Onodera sushi restaurant after the first tuna auction of the New Year in Tokyo, Japan January 5, 2025. (Reuters)

The top bidder at a Tokyo fish market said they paid $1.3 million for a tuna on Sunday, the second highest price ever paid at an annual prestigious new year auction.

Michelin-starred sushi restauranteurs the Onodera Group said they paid 207 million yen for the 276-kilogram (608 pound) bluefin tuna, roughly the size and weight of a motorbike.

It is the second highest price paid at the opening auction of the year in Tokyo's main fish market since comparable data started being collected in 1999.

The powerful buyers have now paid the top price for five years straight -- winning bragging rights and a lucrative frenzy of media attention in Japan.

"The first tuna is something meant to bring in good fortune," Onodera official Shinji Nagao told reporters after the auction. "Our wish is that people will eat this and have a wonderful year."

The Onodera Group paid 114 million yen for the top tuna last year.

But the highest ever auction price was 333.6 million yen for a 278-kilogram bluefin in 2019, as the fish market was moved from its traditional Tsukiji area to a modern facility in nearby Toyosu.

The record bid was made by self-proclaimed "Tuna King" Kiyoshi Kimura, who operates the Sushi Zanmai national restaurant chain.

During the Covid-19 pandemic the new year tunas commanded only a fraction of their usual top prices, as the public were discouraged from dining out and restaurants had limited operations.