Saudi: The Kingdom in 'Freeze-up', Sub-zero Condition Prevails Throughout
by P A Abdul Hameed - Padubidri - Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Jan 18: After a hot summer and pause of a normal climate, now the winter has shrouded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its freezing fist though it started a little late this year. At the start itself, the winter season snowballed with the intense sub-zero weather making the people to sit in their houses and rooms.
Initially, there was a break in the arctic conditions for 3-4 days after its start, but its tempo got frenzied coming up to the -5 (Minus Five) and more degree Celsius in Al Qassim Province and in the Northern parts like Arar, Turaif and other places.
Similarly it was -2 (Minus Two) degree Celsius in the capital city, Riyadh on January 16, 4 to 5 degree Celsius in Eastern Province like Dammam, Al Khobar, Al Hassa, Jubail and other places respectively. However, the western provinces like Jeddah and surrounding regions, which are on the bank of Red Sea, are not affected by the arctic conditions of the winter season. The climate in Jeddah seemed to have kept its ever status quo position and A/c and fans are still running in most of the apartments and rooms.
It is becoming unbearable day-by-day. It is reported from the local and international TV report that about 15 people have died owing to the extreme cold weather throughout the Kingdom.
According to some senior residents in the Kingdom, it is really a typical weather that they never experienced. High–rise buildings, namely, Kingdom Tower, Faisaliah Tower, roads and shopping malls hardly find shoppers/customers. People hardly find their way to go out. For two to three days, it was such a cloudy atmosphere without the sun's appearance on the sky that the people are very fervent to see the daylight. Since two days, sun is showing its face with bright ray, but without any slow in the icy weather.
Normally, the wintry condition continues for twenty four hours but with little ebb and flow. Flats and rooms have become like a bit of iceberg and people of all ages warm up in front of heaters and fuels. Everywhere, people are seen wearing different ranges of sweaters and other winter clothes with head-caps and ear-caps to be immune from the frosty exposure. Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies are becoming full of activities with the medical services being rendered to the patients, who are getting influenza from the weather.
But, the exotic scene is that the varieties of winter clothes are being attracted in every readymade shop, shopping malls and hypermarkets ranging from SR 10 to SR 1500. In the beginning, the rate was low and there was no such demand for the winter wears. As the climate changed drastically, the demand sore high. The people's demand has also seen a steep rise in prices of heaters of different designs.
However, the conditions of the people especially labourers working in the open space is really tear- jerking. They have to expose themselves outside without any option to the ice-cold ambiance while working or supervising the work in progress like construction, sales etc. It is common scene in the morning that the labour class people are being transported in the open-roofed or half open-roofed vehicle to their work places even in these extreme conditions.
All in all, winter has caught most of the people on wrong foot. The extreme condition has made the people to remain inside their cozy homes without allowing much freedom to come out and go around.
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