Crops · dekad 2026-09-01

Saudi Arabia

2 of 12 crop regions in Saudi Arabia are at their worst on record for this point in the season. Its highest in any previous year was 1, on a recent average of 0.33.

Vegetation, cumulativethe harvest measure2of 12
Vegetation, current1of 12
Water satisfaction0of 12
Rainfall, 3-month1of 7
Temperature6of 12

What moved, and when

Each square is one dekad, and its shade shows how many of this country’s crop regions stood at their own worst on record for that point in the season. Rows are ordered by how much time each instrument summarises, shortest first, because a shorter window can move sooner. That order is fixed and is the same on every country page.

Vegetation, currentthis dekadalready elevated when this window opens, so nothing here shows when it began
Soil moisturethis dekadalready elevated when this window opens, so nothing here shows when it began
Temperaturethis dekad
Rainfall, 3-monththe past 3 months
Vegetation, cumulativethe season so far, from sowingalready elevated when this window opens, so nothing here shows when it began
Water satisfactionthe season so far, as a water balance
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep
none at a recordone regionfewer than a thirda third to three quartersmost or alltoo few regions reporting to saynot reported
What connects these rows

The driver is water. This section says what moved and when. It never says because.

These 25 dekads were picked rather than derived. A shorter window changes which peak looks like the first, and a sequence visible inside a window may not exist outside it.

How bad is it, against this country’s own record

Five instruments read together our combination, not an observation

4th worst of 26 years at this point in the season

The 4th most stressed of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026, across 5 instruments read together

202620012026

What the instruments say

The canopy is at its lowest on record here, while water satisfaction and rainfall are in mid-range.

Each track is that instrument’s own 26 years, worst on the left.

Vegetation, cumulative-0.66lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.70lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction11%17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.1814th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature32.7 °C7th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Five instruments, each against its own 26 years for this point in the season. They are shown together because they can disagree: a region can sit at a record low on vegetation while water or rainfall sits in its best third. 66 of the 440 regions at a record low on current vegetation have water or rainfall sitting in its own best third at the same moment, about one in seven. This page reports where each one sits and does not say what caused what.

Every region of Saudi Arabia, worst to least

Each bar is the full spread of that region’s previous 25 years at this point in the season. The dot is this year. A dot at the left of a wide bar and a dot at the left of a narrow bar are different findings, which is why the history is drawn rather than described.

its normalworsebetterEastern RegionHailAr RiyadAl JawfAl QaseemTabukNajranMakkah M.Al BahahMadinah M.AseerJazan

Regions in colour are at their worst on record. The rest are placed on the same scale so a single deep region inside an otherwise ordinary country reads differently from a country where the whole distribution has moved.

Eastern Region

-1.28 2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-1.282nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-1.242nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction2%26th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-monthnot reportedFewer than 20 comparable years of rainfall, 3-month at this dekad.
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature35.2 °C20th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Hail

-1.06 8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-1.068th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-1.108th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction1%15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-monthnot reportedFewer than 20 comparable years of rainfall, 3-month at this dekad.
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature33.8 °C7th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Ar Riyad

-1.00 lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-1.00lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-1.11lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction5%26th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.0418th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature35.3 °C6th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Al Jawf

-0.88 lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.88lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.862nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction1%17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-monthnot reportedFewer than 20 comparable years of rainfall, 3-month at this dekad.
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature31.3 °C7th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Al Qaseem

-0.82 5th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.825th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.984th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction2%25th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-monthnot reportedFewer than 20 comparable years of rainfall, 3-month at this dekad.
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature34.9 °C4th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Tabuk

-0.66 2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.662nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.615th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction3%10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-monthnot reportedFewer than 20 comparable years of rainfall, 3-month at this dekad.
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature30.2 °C13th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Najran

-0.51 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.513rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.702nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction8%18th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.4312th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature29.8 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Makkah M.

-0.45 9th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.459th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.516th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction39%18th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+1.5223rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature33.0 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Al Bahah

-0.27 15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.2715th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.2711th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction30%17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+1.4122nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature32.9 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Madinah M.

-0.04 16th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.0416th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.227th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction1%9th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.37lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature35.2 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Aseer

+0.41 21st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.4121st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.3119th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction50%17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+1.1119th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature31.6 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Jazan

+0.44 19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.4419th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.3919th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction54%17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.8920th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature33.9 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

This measurement is of the crop canopy and not of what stressed it: heat, drought, disease and late planting are not separable here, which is why no claim on this page names a cause.

Kristjan Lepik (2026). The Long Swell, Crops. thelongswell.com