A Saudi meteorology official suggests that the information provided in Saudi textbooks about the kingdom’s climate is no longer accurate and requires updating.
Hussain Al Qahtani, the spokesman for the Saudi National Centre of Meteorology, said in an X post that the descriptors “hot in summer and cold in winter” mentioned in the education curricula no longer accurately depict Saudi Arabia’s current climate, weather, and diverse geography.
“This information cannot be generalised for all regions in Saudi Arabia, making the need for its update a persistent matter,” he added.
In recent months, several areas in Saudi Arabia have been lashed by heavy rains, prompting the suspension of classes and a shift to online education several times.
Weather alert
The Saudi Civil Defence Service has said that most regions in the kingdom are expected to experience rains and thunderstorms starting from Saturday until Tuesday and called for caution and vigilance.
The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Aviation has urged the public to stay in safe places, and avoid sites and wadis hit by flooding resulting from rains and shun swimming in open waters.
People are also advised to heed official safety instructions released via different media.
According to the directorate, the holy region of Mecca is forecast to be affected by medium rains accompanied by hail showers and dust-laden winds extending to Jizan, Asir and Al Baha in south-western Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Riyadh is anticipated to witness rainfall, accompanied by dust-laden winds.