Good rains fell on the Red Sea coastal plains and in the interior of Saudi Arabia during the first half of January. Light to moderate rains also fell at times south of the Atlas Mountains in North-West Africa, on the coasts of northern Oman and southern Iran, and in western Pakistan. Vegetation in these areas is either already green or will become green. Rainfall was heaviest near Mecca and Jizan but light showers also fell on the northern coast near Yenbo and Wejh as well as in the interior near Najran, Medinah, Hail and Gassim. As a result, vegetation is green in coastal areas and conditions are favourable for breeding.
Conditions are less favourable in the interior due to low temperatures.
Light to moderate rains were reported on the Batinah coast of northern Oman. In Eastern Africa , light rains fell in a few places on the Red Sea coast of Sudan and Eritrea at mid month. These may have been associated with the rain that fell on the eastern side of the Red Sea but they were considerably less in comparison. Consequently, unusually dry conditions are thought to prevail along most of the coastal plains of Eritrea and Sudan where breeding is likely to be limited to just a few wadis and cropping areas such as the Tokar Delta. Light rains fell in parts of the interior of Sudan near Kassala, Wad Medani and El Obeid.