Climatology of sea breezes along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Long‐term near‐surface observations from five coastal stations, high‐resolution model data from Modern Era Retrospective‐Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) and high‐resolution daily sea surface temperature (SST) from National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are used to investigate the climatology of sea breezes over the eastern side of the Red Sea region. Results show existence of separate sea breeze systems along different segments of the Red Sea coastline. Based on the physical character and synoptic influences, sea breezes in the Red Sea are broadly divided into three regions: the north and the middle Red Sea (NMRS), the Red Sea convergence zone (RSCZ) and the southern Red Sea (SRS) regions. On average, sea breezes developed on 67% of days of the 10‐year study period. Although sea breezes occur almost all year, this mesoscale phenomenon is most frequent from May to October (78% of the total sea breeze days). The sea breeze frequency increases from north to south (equatorwards), and sea breeze characteristics appear to vary both temporally and spatially. In addition to land–sea thermal differential, coastline shape, latitude and topography, the prevailing northwesterly at NMRS region, the convergence of northwesterly and southeasterly wind system at RSCZ region and the northeast and southwest monsoon at SRS region play an important role in defining the sea breeze characteristics over the Red Sea.

The Land‐Sea Breeze of the Red Sea: Observations, Simulations, and Relationships to Regional Moisture Transport

“…Corkscrew sea breezes may initiate in the presence of smaller thermal contrasts than other LSBC types. This facilitation of LSBC initiation is consistent with the climatological study of sea breezes over the Saudi Peninsula conducted by Khan et al (2018), who also found that the frequency of sea breeze occurrences increased from north to south. Differences in the mean-flow/coastline orientation over the East African side of the Red Sea resulted in gradient winds flowing roughly parallel to the coast and to the right of this flow.…”

“…Seasonal land-sea temperature differences reversed sign for fall and winter, while a land-sea surface pressure gradient favorable for onshore flow was maintained year round (not shown). Fall and winter patterns have been shown in related studies by Khan et al (2018), Qian et al (2009), and Rotunno (1983) to be quasi-antitriptic, that is atmospheric flow based only on frictional forces and a local pressure gradient developing from uneven heating (prone to occur at latitudes less than 30°).…”

Regional Climatic Features of the Arabian Peninsula

“…Along the Red Sea coast, the wind direction was mostly western, throughout the whole year, accounting for the effect of the Soudan Low from October to May and the establishment of the sea breeze. Sea breeze in the Northerly/North Westerlies direction developed in the Red Sea and penetrated 10-20 km inland [40]. The wind direction pattern was more complicated in the regions of Asir and Jizan, due to the complex terrain.…”

Statistical characterization of the sea‐breeze physical mechanisms through in‐situ and satellite observations

“…At a larger temporal scale, the climatological studies of Azorin-Molina and Chen (2009) and Azorin-Molina et al (2011) point out the importance of the larger-scale winds on the SB features, through the inspection of the onset and duration of the SB in the eastern Iberian Peninsula. There are SB studies based on remote sensing observations, inspecting the convection associated through the visible channels of satellite or more recently in Khan et al (2018) where the temperature difference between land and sea is evaluated through satellite-derived surface temperatures. Aircraft observations (Finkele et al, 1995) are also taken to further understand the SB circulation cell.…”