The Sahara desert was hit by an ice explosion with sub-zero temperatures.
Snow also covered parts of Saudi Arabia, where mercury reached 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
A photographer captured images of camels after a blizzard in the Tabuk region of northwest Saudi Arabia.
The area – which is close to the Jordan border – has experienced an unusual climate this month.
The desert kingdom may experience peaks of up to 122 degrees during the hot season, but this month temperatures have dropped below 32 degrees.
On January 10, residents of the mountainous region were treated with a blast of snow.
Freezing temperatures
Snow also fell near the deserted city of Aïn Séfra in Algeria this week.
Photographer Karim Bouchetata took incredible pictures of the ice covering the sand in the small town of the Sahara desert.
Sheep were seen standing in the ice-covered dunes on Wednesday, when temperatures dropped to 26.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aïn Séfra – known as “The Gate of the Desert” – is about 3,280 feet above sea level and surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.
Saudi Arabia also experienced snow in 2018 and locals had fun with sleds and snowballs.
Snow also fell in Lebanon, Syria and Iran – where some regions were buried under four feet.
January is the coldest month in Saudi Arabia, with mercury averaging 68.36 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tabuk is one of the coldest regions in the country, but it usually has a dry climate with an average temperature of 39.2 degrees.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Eric Leister said that while snow is rare in the region, this is not completely out of the ordinary.
Researchers studying changes in rainfall in the Sahara region have found that the desert has grown significantly over the past century due to climate change.
Professor Sumant Nigam, an atmospheric and oceanic scientist at the University of Maryland and senior author of the study, said: “Our results are specific to the Sahara, but they probably have implications for other deserts in the world.”
It occurs when parts of the United Kingdom are prepared for days of torrential rain, with meteorologists warning of floods that cause a “danger to life”.
Up to 2.3 feet of torrential rain are forecast to flood England and Wales earlier this week, generating several weather alerts.
The Met Office has now issued an amber and yellow alert for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, saying that the British should expect “heavy and prolonged” rains with melting snow causing flooding.