Is it raining now in Saihat?

Saihat sits on Saudi Arabia's Persian Gulf coastline as part of the Qatif governorate — a cluster of Shia-majority cities including Al Qatif and Al Mubarraz where artesian springs and coastal date palm cultivation define the landscape. Rain here is rare but follows the Eastern Province winter pattern: ~88 mm annually, concentrated in December-January when weak Mediterranean-influenced frontal lows track northeast across the Gulf. When rain does arrive, it's episodic rather than sustained — typically 3-4 rainy days per month at peak, then weeks of dry heat.

The Gulf coastal plain creates its own weather dynamic. Salt spray and humidity persist year-round from the shallow Persian Gulf (55%+ relative humidity in winter), and fog from the marine boundary layer is more common than rain. When rare convective cells develop over the Gulf and push ashore, the flat impermeable urban surfaces concentrate runoff into sheet flows. A Saihat rain radar must track minute-by-minute changes because episodic Gulf cells develop and dissipate within 30-45 minutes — far faster than standard forecast updates.

RainViewer pulls radar data from regional meteorological networks, updated every 5 minutes. The live map shows exactly when a Gulf convective cell will reach the Saihat coastline versus stalling offshore.