Saudi Arabia: Brace Yourself For 50 C In Ramadan
The Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) has predicted that temperature during Ramadan in Makkah, Madinah and some other cities in the Kingdom will be relatively “high.”
This year Ramadan, which is likely to begin on July 20, falls when summer is at its height.
“Temperatures this summer will be higher than average in most parts of the country. It will reach 50 degrees Celsius in the shade,” said Murad Hashim, assistant undersecretary for climatic affairs and applied studies at the Regional Center for Drought Monitoring and Early Warning.
High temperatures will be experienced in the early days of Ramadan and will be extreme between noon and 2 p.m. in some parts of the Makkah and Madinah provinces apart from the northern and southern parts of the Eastern Province. The temperature will fall by seven degrees in the latter part of the month in Makkah and Madinah, while in the Eastern Province the drop will be by five degrees, the statement said.
The center’s Director General Abdul Rahman Mushtaq said this is the temperature of the air in the shade that is two meters higher than the ground and away from any source of short wave radiation.
He added that it would be different from the temperature directly under the sun or locations near concrete buildings or asphalt roads.
The report also advised people not to expose themselves to direct sunlight for long periods, particularly between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
According to records, the highest summer temperature recorded in Makkah since 1980 was 49.7 degrees Celsius on Aug. 7, 2010, and the lowest at 23.4 degrees Celsius on Aug.15. The highest volume of rainfall received in 24 hours in Makkah was 24.6 mm on July 23, 1995, and the strongest wind of 70 km per hour on Aug. 2, 2002.
The highest temperature recorded in Madinah in summer since 1980 was 49 degrees Celsius on July 20, 2005, and the lowest 23 degrees Celsius on Aug. 2, 1984.
The record volume of rainfall received in 24 hours in Madinah was 11 mm on Aug. 16, 1994, and the strongest wind of 120 km per hour in the northern direction on Aug. 2, 1995.
On Monday the PME dismissed recent media reports that temperatures this summer could exceed 70 degrees Celsius as baseless. The PME warned against issuing such reports because they could cause unjustified public alarm.