U.A.E. Climate Forecast

By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief, Gulf News
Published: 14:06 December 8, 2009

Al Ain: Strong winds kicked up sand and dust yesterday, reducing visibility considerably across the emirates amid the forecast of thunderstorms and rain in some parts of country.

Temperatures have fallen across the UAE and motorists faced difficulties on highways due to strong winds, dust and poor visibility. According to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), wind was blowing at a speed of 20 knots in Al Ain at around midday on Tuesday. Similar conditions were faced in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and some other cities where visibility was down to 2,000 metres almost the entire day. Sea conditions were rough too, with wind speeds at 32 knots, generating nine-feet-high waves. People were seen covering their eyes and mouths from sand flying in the air. Doctors have also warned people with breathing problems to take proper care in the open to avoid health problems. A forecaster said: "The sea is rough and very dangerous for small boats and fishing trawlers." He advised people, particularly fishermen, to stay away from the sea as conditions are more unstable in coastal areas and over the sea. Outdoor risk The NCMS also issued a warning for the general public asking them to be on the lookout if they go for outdoor activities. "They may involve risks in the event of bad weather from time to time," said the centre. According the weather forecast, there are chances of thunderstorms and rain in some parts of the UAE including Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the northern emirates. Conditions would continue to be cloudy, with the cloud cover gradually increasing during evening and night. "There are chances of rain over islands and northern areas and that may be associated with thunderstorms during late in the night over the mountains," said the forecast. Fresh southerly winds over sea but they will continue to blow dust over interior open areas reducing the horizontal visibility. The daytime maximum temperature has also dropped down to 30 degree Celsius and below in the coastal and interior areas while it went further down to 21 degree Celsius in the mountainous region. The lowest maximum temperature was just 16 degree Celsius recorded in Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah, followed by 17 in Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain. Where the weather is coming from An unstable weather system over Iran has been sucking in clouds and moisture from Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf. A trail of clouds is currently moving from Africa, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, and UAE and towards Iran. The system has been giving heavy rain over Southern Iran. Unstable weather over the western Mediterranean Sea has also been contributing to the weather conditions in the Gulf region. Bad weather is expected to last a few more days. Take care: Doctors' advice With the sands blowing and a dust haze cloud over most parts of the emirates doctors advise people with upper respiratory tract problems and allergies to stay indoors for the duration of the bad weather. "If that's not possible and you have to go to school, wear a face mask," said Dr Lalit Uchil, specialist family physician. The doctor advises asthmatics to use the full dosage of their inhalers before venturing outdoors. "Don't wait till you have difficulty in breathing," he said. The other advice is to keep the homes clean and vacuum off the dust particles filtering through the windows and doors. Dr Ayman Markoly, a specialist in internal medicine, advised wearing eye glasses during the dusty conditions and use anti-allergic drops if eyes start itching. He said the bad weather could flare up conditions of those suffering from skin allergies also. Doctors noted that as the weather changes dramatically over the weekend, residents will have to prepare for coughs and colds as winter kicks in. — Mahmood Saberi, Senior Reporter