Middle East gets the chills from Wednesday

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries are set to enter a 13-day cold spell on Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to fall to their lowest in the winter season, according to a well-known Saudi astronomer.

The period, dubbed in Saudi Arabia 'Talei Al Balda' is the coldest in winter and will witness rain and strong Northern and Northwesterly winds, said Salmal Al Ramadan, a member of the astronomy association in the Eastern Saudi province of Al Qateef.

He told the Saudi daily 'Sabq' that temperatures during this period would dip to an average 15 deg Celsius and to a minimum 7 deg Celsius during the weekend.

He said the cold spell would hit Northern and Eastern Saudi Arabia as well as nearby Gulf countries.

Photo: File picture of two Palestinian women playing with snow outside the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (VOA)