Cold Wave Hits Gulf Countries, Temperatures Reach Freezing Point

The strongest cold wave ever recorded in Saudi Arabia lasted for seven consecutive days (SPA)
The strongest cold wave ever recorded in Saudi Arabia lasted for seven consecutive days (SPA)
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Cold Wave Hits Gulf Countries, Temperatures Reach Freezing Point

The strongest cold wave ever recorded in Saudi Arabia lasted for seven consecutive days (SPA)
The strongest cold wave ever recorded in Saudi Arabia lasted for seven consecutive days (SPA)

A cold wave is affecting the Gulf countries, bringing temperatures close to freezing in several areas, with frost expected in some regions.

Hussein Al-Qahtani, spokesperson for the Saudi National Center for Meteorology (NCM) said the winter weather report shows a generally mild season, despite temperatures dropping to as low as minus 3°C in some places.

“We are nearing the end of the first quarter of winter, and cold waves usually come from the north, with the northern regions of Saudi Arabia being the first to feel the impact,” said Al-Qahtani.

“Cities like Al-Qurayyat, Turaif, Sakaka, and the northern border areas are the coldest, followed by the eastern and central regions,” he added.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Qahtani said there are two months of winter remaining, with cold waves expected to bring rain to northern, western, and central Saudi Arabia, ranging from moderate to heavy.

He also mentioned that while there is a chance of snowfall on Mount Al-Lawz in the Tabuk region, it is not very likely. The NCM is closely monitoring the situation and will issue warnings if necessary.

He added that snowfall in neighboring northern countries could affect northern Saudi areas, particularly the Tabuk highlands.

On Thursday, the NCM shared details of the strongest cold wave in Saudi Arabia’s history, which occurred 33 years ago. In January 1992, the Hail station recorded a low of minus 9.3°C, with the cold wave lasting seven days.

Al-Qahtani said a repeat of the 1992 cold wave is unlikely this season. He noted that while temperatures may drop to minus 3°C, this winter is expected to be milder overall, and such low temperatures are not expected to last as long as the seven days in 1992.



Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore Among Those who Lost Homes in Los Angeles Fires

A blackened US flag flies above a charred structure after the passage of the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Photo by AGUSTIN PAULLIER / AFP)
A blackened US flag flies above a charred structure after the passage of the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Photo by AGUSTIN PAULLIER / AFP)
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Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore Among Those who Lost Homes in Los Angeles Fires

A blackened US flag flies above a charred structure after the passage of the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Photo by AGUSTIN PAULLIER / AFP)
A blackened US flag flies above a charred structure after the passage of the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Photo by AGUSTIN PAULLIER / AFP)

Fires burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton and led to sweeping disruptions of entertainment events.
Three awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed. Next week's Oscar nominations have been delayed. And tens of thousands of Angelenos are displaced and awaiting word Thursday on whether their homes survived the flames — some of them the city's most famous denizens, The Associated Press reported.
More than 1,900 structures have been destroyed and the number is expected to increase. More than 130,000 people are also under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt.
Late Wednesday, a fire in the Hollywood Hills was scorching the hills near the famed Hollywood Bowl and Dolby Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards.
Here are how the fires are impacting celebrities and the Los Angeles entertainment industry:
Stars whose homes have burned in the fires Celebrities like Crystal and his wife, Janice, were sharing memories of the homes they lost.
The Crystals lost the home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that they lived in for 45 years.
“Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this,” the Crystals wrote in the statement.
Mandy Moore lost her home in the Altadena neighborhood roughly 30 miles east of the Palisades.
“Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family. My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too,” Moore wrote on Instagram in a post that included video of devastated streets in the foothill suburb.
“Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to all affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control,” Moore wrote.
Hilton posted a news video clip on Instagram and said it included footage of her destroyed home in Malibu. “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London,” she said, referencing her young children."
Elwes, the star of “The Princess Bride” and numerous other films, wrote on Instagram Wednesday that his family was safe but their home had burned in the coastal Palisades fire. “Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” Elwes wrote.
The blazes have thrown Hollywood's carefully orchestrated awards season into disarray.
Awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed due to the fires. The AFI Awards, which were set to honor “Wicked,” “Anora” and other awards season contenders, had been scheduled for Friday.
The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, which honor movies and television shows that resonate with older audiences, were set for Friday but have been postponed.
The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Sunday, have been postponed until Feb. 26.
Each of the shows feature projects that are looking for any advantage they can get in the Oscar race and were scheduled during the Academy Awards voting window.
The Oscar nominations are also being delayed two days to Jan. 19 and the film academy has extended the voting window to accommodate members affected by the fires.