Perfect Weather in Riyadh
Yeah, well, I might have to wear and abaya and cover my head every time I leave my apartment, but besides for that, dressing for the weather is a piece of cake! No gloves, jacket, or boots needed now, when at home, it’s full on winter.
Check out the 10-day forecast for Riyadh from The Weather chanel: High around 70F, low around 50F. Sunny, light winds up to 5mph
Completely dry streets – 36 to 48 hours after flooding
After the rain and street flooding on Tuesday, we were sure there would be no school on Wednesday. We were wrong. Walking to school at 7 am there was little trace of the previous day’s flooding.
These photos show the same flooded intersection 1.5-2 days later. Dry as a bone.
Rain Day – Elementary Schools Close due to Flooding Tuesday 29-Nov
We were surprised when we got to school Tuesday to find that only a handful of students arrived for each of the morning classes (out of about 25 students normally). There was a light to moderate rain, but nothing remarkable compared to many places. But in Riyadh, there’s no place for the rain to go, so intersections and roads flood quickly.
But, based on the weather prediction, elementary schools in Riyadh and elsewhere were given a ‘holiday’, the day before because of predicted inclement weather.
The few students who had attended left mid-morning, so no students were there for our afternoon classes. Teachers stayed until our regular ending time of 3:15pm. Some of us walked home, with a few detours to avoid growing puddles.
By almost 5 pm, I walked down to our nearest intersection and took photos of the cars splashing their way through the almost 1’ deep water. As I walked back, I could hear prayer calls drifting in the air. Even during rain, flooding and traffic jams, prayer calls are still happening. They weren’t canceled due to weather!
Schools in some areas closed after Met warning for Tuesday
Arab News, RIYADH: The Ministry of Education has declared a holiday on Tuesday for all schools in Riyadh, Qassim, Hail and in the Eastern Province. The ministry issued the directive as a precautionary measure following Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection (PME) projections of expected inclement weather conditions in these areas from Monday night.
Sweater Weather
Before coming to Saudi Arabia, I thought the weather was hot. And that the variation range was: hot, pretty hot, really hot, terribly hot, unbearably hot.
I am pleasantly surprised that at least in the month of November, the weather has been perfect. Two nights ago we closed the window for the first time because it felt a little chilly.
Today, the Riyadh weather forecast says high 71F, low 51F.
When I was walking last night, my hands were a bit cold. The rest was warm under my abaya. I found myself tucking my hands in the sleeves of my abaya, feeling way too much like Sister Mary Anyone. (Just to clarify, that’s not me in the picture. We aren’t allowed to wear anything but black!)
