RIYADH, biting cold air from Siberia has hit northern and central Saudi Arabia, sending temperatures in some desert cities plummeting well below zero.

Qurayat, near the border with Jordan, shivered in minus three degrees Celsius (27F) on Tuesday night. The capital Riyadh recorded eight degrees Celsius (46F) overnight, from around 15 degrees Celsius (59F) two days ago.

The cold spell was caused by Siberian air masses slipping south along the eastern flank of a central European high-pressure system The situation is expected to last for another one or two days. Winter cold spells are rare, but far from being unusual over Saudi Arabia as similar cold swept south in late November 1999 or in January and February 2000

However, Saudi weatherman Mohammad Nour predicted this winter will be much colder in Saudi Arabia than usual with heavy rain forecast in December and January.

Saudis have already been called on October 29 and November 15 to pray for rain, but only traces have been reported in the north and none in Riyadh and the surrounding areas. Kuwait has also reported temperatures well below average amid predictions of worse to come. In some desert areas, the thermometer fell to three degrees Celsius (37F) this week. Scorching summers often see shade temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius (122F) on the Arabian peninsula.