A Tornado Alley-style storm system is about to hit the Middle East — in a virtually unheard of atmospheric setup for the region.

Parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf could be slammed by strong to severe thunderstorms Thursday, bringing the potential for damaging winds, destructive hail and a few tornadoes. Large expanses of the desert may flood, in some cases picking up a year’s worth of rainfall in three days. At least one model shows storm effects stretching from parts of Iran toward Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon.