By RIA Novosti
Abu Dhabi : Northern parts of Saudi Arabia were covered with snow with schools, mosques and administrative bodies shut down, local media reported Friday.
The oil-rich kingdom is experiencing sub-zero temperatures and snowstorms with freezing winds of up to 50 km per hour. In some regions water supply was disrupted as pipes burst. There were reports of livestock dying from cold.
The Saudi Gazette reported late in December that the winter was expected to last 89 days, with temperatures reaching below zero. National media said the winter is the coldest in the country for 20 years.
Morning and afternoon prayers are being combined in many mosques because of the morning cold and some schools will reopen later than scheduled.
The bad weather is fun for children and teenagers, however, who have been making snowballs and building snowmen with enthusiasm.