The Sahara Desert has been hit by an icy explosion with temperatures dropping below freezing.
The snow also covered parts of Saudi Arabia that saw mercury hit 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
A photographer has captured images of camels after a snowfall in the Tabuk region of northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The area, close to the border with Jordan, experienced unusual weather this month.
The desert kingdom may experience highs of up to 122 degrees during the heat season, but this month temperatures dropped to 32 degrees.
On January 10, residents of the mountainous region received a snowstorm.
Freezing temperatures
This week it also snowed near the desert city of Aïn Séfra in Algeria.
Photographer Karim Bouchetata took amazing photos of ice covering the sand of the small town in the Sahara desert.
Sheep were seen standing on ice-covered dunes on Wednesday as temperatures dropped to 26.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aïn Séfra – known as “The Gate of the Desert” – is located at about 3,280 feet above sea level and is surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.
Saudi Arabia also experienced snow in 2018 and the locals had fun with sleds and snowballs.
Snow also fell in Lebanon, Syria and Iran, where some regions were buried less than four meters away.
January is the coldest month in Saudi Arabia, with mercury averaging 68.36 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tabuk is one of the coldest regions in the country, but usually experiences a dry climate with average temperatures of 39.2 degrees.
Eric Leister, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, said that while it’s rare for snow in the region, it’s not entirely normal.
Researchers studying rainfall changes in the Sahara region found that the desert has grown significantly over the past century due to climate change.
Professor Sumant Nigam, an atmospheric and ocean scientist at the University of Maryland and lead author of the study, said: “Our results are specific to the Sahara, but probably have implications for other deserts in the world.”
It occurs when parts of the UK are prepared for rainy days, with forecasters warning that fast-flowing floods are causing a “danger to life”.
It is now getting up to 2.3 feet of torrential rain to soak England and Wales earlier this week, causing multiple weather warnings.
The Met Office has now issued amber and yellow alerts for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, saying the British should expect “intense and prolonged” showers with melting snow that would cause flooding.