The weather of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is typical of the Sahara geographic region. The region is characterized by a high frequency of blowing sand and dust due to the sandy soil and high wind speeds (commonly referred to as "Shamal Winds")[244] with long, hot, and dry summers, and short, warm, and sometimes rainy winters. Dust storms almost always occur with a rise in humidity during summer and can reduce visibility to a few meters during the day.[245,246]
The highest temperature recorded in Kuwait was 51oC (124oF) in July 1978 while the lowest, -6.1oC (21oF), was recorded in January 1964. There is a wide variation of temperature, ranging from an average of 45oC (113oF) in summer to an average of 7.8oC (46oF) in winter.[247]
Average annual precipitation ranges from less than one inch in coastal Saudi Arabia to approximately four inches in Kuwait and occurs during the winter through early spring months. The prevailing wind direction is from the northwest for Kuwait and from the north/northwest for Saudi Arabia. Associated annual average wind speeds range from 13.8 miles per hour for Kuwait to 11.5 miles per hour and 6.9 miles per hour for Dhahran and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, respectively.[248]
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