Moderate to heavy rain on Wednesday and into Thursday brought relief from high spring temperatures around the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia’s National Center of Meteorology has forecast mainly pleasant weather conditions in coming days.

However, the NCM forecast on Thursday said that moderate and torrential thunderstorms, accompanied by active winds, are expected for areas of the Najran, Jazan, Asir, Baha and Makkah regions, as well as some parts of the Eastern, Riyadh and Qassim regions.

Riyadh can expect cloudy conditions to continue until the weekend, with moderate to heavy rain accompanied by strong winds.

In the past 24 hours, from 9 a.m. on Wednesday to 9 a.m. on Thursday, Al-Thumama on the northern edge of Riyadh received the highest rainfall of 22.4 mm in the capital region. Al-Qaysumah, Hafar Al-Batin, received 33.8 mm, the highest in the Eastern Province, while Rafha received 16.3 mm, the highest in the Northern Borders region, and Al-Hinakiyah governorate received 21.8 mm, the highest in the Madinah region.

Heavy rain kept schools in some cities closed on Thursday, the last working day before the 10-day Eid Al-Fitr holiday in schools and government offices.

The NCM last week forecast moderate to heavy rain and sandstorms in most regions of Saudi Arabia from Sunday until the end of Ramadan.

Spring thunderstorms, accompanied by dust storms, were predicted from Monday to Thursday in the Qassim, Riyadh and Eastern Province regions, with light snowfall forecast in the Hail region and Northern Borders districts.

Oil spilled routinely into UK waters over five years has added up to thousands of tonnes of pollution endangering marine life, according to data shown exclusively to BBC News.

Campaigners say the data shows some spills hit areas meant to protect wildlife including porpoises and orcas.

While some oil spillage is allowed in production, they say 40% of monitored releases breached permits.

An industry representative said it takes all releases very seriously.

Energy campaigning group Uplift obtained the data through Freedom of Information requests to the offshore oil and gas regulator, the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning.

Uplift’s analysis suggested that between 2017 and 2022, 22,000 metric tonnes of oil were discharged in UK waters, or 164,000 barrels. In comparison, the Poole Harbour spill in March leaked 200 barrels of reservoir fluid which contains some oil.

Uplift, which campaigns to transition from oil and gas to green energy, said its findings showed the oil and gas industry was spilling far more oil than the government says is safe.

“This is the first time we are revealing the extent of this cumulative pollution. This is what happens when you’ve got spills constantly leaking. You’ve got tar balls and droplets falling to the bottom of the ocean, threatening wildlife,” Uplift Director Tessa Khan said.

Companies are allowed to release some oil including in so-called produced water – found within rocks alongside oil and gas – as a by-product of routine production. They are given permits that allow discharges.

Uplift’s analysis suggested 58% of releases were allowed under those government permits. The remaining 42% breached the permits.

Uplift also worked with another NGO, SkyTruth, which analysed satellite pictures of UK waters. Images from 2020 to 2022 also show large numbers of oil spills.

Some of the slicks detected were 10km long and one cumulative slick extended to an area of 91 sq km.

A powerful storm that is charging towards Western Australia (WA) has intensified to a category five system.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa is expected to hit Port Hedland, in the state’s north, late on Thursday night.

A red alert has been issued across the region, with thousands of people ordered to take immediate shelter.

While northern Australia is no stranger to cyclones, this storm is predicted to be the strongest to hit the region in 14 years.

The “very destructive core” of the storm will bring “extreme” wind gusts of up to 315km/h (195mph) in parts of the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said.

“There is a threat to lives and homes. You are in danger and need to act immediately,” the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said, when the red alert was issued on Thursday afternoon, local time.

Residents, including some 15,000 people in Port Hedland, the world’s biggest iron ore exporting port, have been ordered to shelter inside and stay away from doors and windows.

“It is too late to leave. Stay indoors until the all clear is given by authorities,” the red alert warning states.

Port Hedland Mayor Peter Carter said evacuation centres had been set up in the town.

“Everyone is on edge,” Mr Carter told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “They understand that cyclones are what they are. They’re very, very unpredictable.”

Some 700 residents from the remote community of Bidyadanga have been evacuated, the fire service has said.

Weather officials also warned of up to 400mm (15.7in) of rain and abnormally high tides, with the storm’s impact felt across a 600km (370 mile) region from Port Hedland to just south of Broome.

The Castlerigg Stone Circle, also known as Castlerigg, is a simple circle created with stones which is situated in the vicinity of the town and civil parish of Keswick in the county of Cumbriw in the North West of England, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Being part of some 1,300 other stone circles, Castlerigg was created in the era between the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age as part of a megalithic tradition.

Considered to be among the most atmospheric and dramatically sited of all British stone circles which offer amazing panoramic views, the site is perhaps constructed some time around 3,000 BC, potentially one of the earliest ones in the country.

As Castlerigg is located on an interesting natural plateau, the site is composed of 38 free standing stones, some of which are up to 3 meters (10 feet) high, and even though when a person is trying to count them, he/she can not come with the same number twice.

At its widest, the site is measured to be 33 meters (107 feet), and at its narrowest is measured at 30 meters (97 feet).

Within the circle, there is an unusual feature of 10 additional standing stones in the shape of a rough rectangle. The original purpose of the site is still unknown, even though there are some interpretations which point to the fact that it was used most likely as a trading post.

Still, there are some people who consider that Castlerigg was used as a meeting place for social gatherings, a site for religious ceremonies and rituals or even an astronomical observatory with the stones being aligned to the sun, moon and stars. Nowadays, this historic monument has not been extensively excavated, and because of that it might be still holding its secret to the precise function of the site.

Nevertheless, with its title of Scheduled Monument, meaning a “nationally important” archaeological site for which protection against unauthorized change is given, Castlerigg is one of the first sites to be covered under the Ancient Monuments Protection Act in 1888, and later in 1913 it was acquired by the National Trust through the efforts of Canon Rawnsley.

With plenty of visitors coming to this alluring place, Castlerigg Stone Circle is definitely a place which holds a secret which shall be discovered in the coming decades, with hope that the stones will be preserved from erosion.