In a rare and striking climate event, Saudi Arabia witnessed snowfall for the first time in nearly three decades, while Iceland recorded unusually high temperatures close to 20 degrees Celsius on Christmas night. The contrasting weather patterns unfolding thousands of kilometres apart have left scientists and residents alike stunned.
People across parts of northern Saudi Arabia woke up to snow-covered deserts and mountains, a sight many locals said they were seeing for the first time in their lives. Regions such as Jabal Al Lawz and the Trojena highlands experienced sub-zero temperatures, with mercury dropping to around minus four degrees Celsius at elevations of nearly 2,600 metres. Snow settled across normally dry landscapes, transforming the terrain into a white expanse and drawing crowds outdoors to witness the rare phenomenon.
At the same time, Iceland experienced the opposite extreme. The coastal town of Bakkageroi recorded a temperature of 19.7 degrees Celsius in the middle of the night on December 25, nearly 10 degrees higher than the country’s average July temperature. Climatologists described the event as unprecedented, calling it one of the most extreme weather anomalies ever observed in the region.
Social media was flooded with images and reactions as people struggled to comprehend the reversal of expected climate patterns. While residents in Iceland shared videos of mild, almost summer-like conditions, people in Saudi Arabia posted photos of camels walking across snow-covered sands and mountains blanketed in white.
Weather experts say the unusual conditions were driven by powerful low-pressure systems moving across the Middle East and parts of the Northern Hemisphere. According to regional reports, these systems brought heavy rainfall and sharp temperature drops across Saudi Arabia and Qatar, enabling snowfall in areas that rarely experience such cold.
The twin extremes have reignited global conversations around climate change, with many observers pointing to the events as evidence of growing instability in weather systems worldwide. As Saudi Arabia marvels at snow in its deserts and Iceland grapples with record-breaking warmth, scientists warn that such dramatic contrasts may become more frequent in the years ahead.