As a new pressure front from Saudi Arabia moves over Qatar, the Ministry of Interior is cautioning those on the roads tonight about low visibility and high winds due to an impending sandstorm.
Update: The Supreme Education Council has also ordered private and public schools to be shut on Thursday, April 2 due to “extreme weather conditions.”
On Twitter, the MOI said:
Motorists and other road users are advised to take precautions as strong dust storm is expected by late night. #MoI_Qatar
— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) April 1, 2015
The Qatar Meteorology Department (MET) has also advised residents to take care, saying high winds will move over the country late tonight and persist all day tomorrow, leading to dusty conditions.
Weather forecast for Thursday 02/04/2015 pic.twitter.com/hz3A9vsxE9
— أرصاد قطر (@qatarweather) April 1, 2015
In a statement, the MET attributed the strong winds to a high pressure front from Saudi Arabia, which is expected to last through Friday evening.
During this time, wind speeds are forecast to reach as high as 35 knots inshore (65km/hour) and 38 knots (70km/hour) offshore.
The MET continued:
“The Northwesterly wind will be accompanied with blowing dust and sand especially in open areas which may reduce the horizontal visibility.”
Temperatures are expected to be slightly cooler than earlier this week, ranging from 19C (66F) to 32C (90F).
Health precautions
In addition to driving extra-carefully on the roads, residents should also take to protect their health during sandstorms.
Doctors generally advise that residents drive with their windows closed; avoid rubbing their eyes to prevent infections; and carry a supply of water to keep from being dehydrated.
Since children are especially vulnerable – thousands were taken to the hospital in January during a sandstorm – parents should cover their kids’ mouths and noses while outside, to avoid reducing inhalation of dust particles.
What are your seeing in your part of Qatar? Thoughts?
Got your laundry in?
Love that this made it AFTER the sand/dust storm already hit lol … well done
1 hour into the storm we get the news that there will be a storm! Well done Shabina!
All of a sudden, there’s this sandstorm…Terrible, so heavy accompanied by strong wind,it gets inside my room. No news about it before I lay down my bed. What;s happening???
It’s in my room too, it got into most rooms actually. I don’t have a mask, what is one supposed to do at times like this? :/
Switch on ur exhaust in ac and toilets
Yeah that’s right it is all Shabina’s fault …. You muppet …………. Shabina’s fault, really? Maybe she got no warning like the rest of us! But kindly, well after your working hours finished, she has put up the article which hopefully makes you aware to take care of the dust/sand storm that looks like it will be raging for several hours, if not most of tomorrow.
Omg I was with my family having dinner at souq waqif when the sandstorm started and we thought probably its due to the construction work around, until I read this article. But before that we had left the place as the dust was getting terrible to breathe.
True .. they should warn the people before hours .. not when it already hit
https://twitter.com/Qatar_Weather/status/582910057584537601
Is there school tomorrow ! Pla tell ! I’m a student
All private and public schools are closed tomorrow as tweeted by SEC
I think we should avoid inhalation of dust not avoid reducing inhalation, thats not helpful at all LOL xD
This is actually very scary. I can feel the dust particles in my breath. I hope it doesn’t get any worse :/
Please turn off your ACs and close the ventilator of your exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchen.
My house is so dusty and foggy even! Use damp towels as a mask if you don’t have a mask. Rub Vaseline on the inside of your nostrils to avoid dryness. Wet towels and lay them flat under the doors. That’s all the advice I can give. It’s still very hard to breathe 🙁
The Aircons are a sealed system so no issues of dust getting in through the Aircon – the dust in the house is due of improper window and door seals, open exhaust vents. For window Aircons however do not open the vents – most seals bad there too.
Have invested in two air purifiers – Sharp are the best in the business. Having a thin layer of dust every day on my black car makes you wonder on the dust we breathing daily – an Air Purifier a must have in Qatar. Today they are doing overtime!!!
bruh
an AC is a sealed system?
Lol…quoted from a website but not really whether they are a credible source….
so true. My little brother has asthma, I hope we wont have to take him to the hospital tomorrow. we have reinforced windows and I can still feel the dust in my nose!
I am also hoping for holiday
It’s offical there are no schools, private and public. Also all government offices and banks will be off. Not sure about private sector
Where is this announced?
..
Could anyone translate me what’s written in that picture above?
Given the weather conditions, all students of independent and private schools will have tomorrow off. We ask Allah to keep everyone safe.
The next tweet from the SEC says that the leave tomorrow is only for students of independent and private schools and that does not include school staff and university students.
That doesn’t make sense at all!!
You expect sense?
Expect amazing!!!
Ok seriously I wanted to pull a dumb April fool prank on everyone… But for real schools are all out.. But banks and government still working
Please tell me where I can find the official gov announcement.
Do u have official link ?
First time experiencing a sand storm. Sucks. Was about to turn the A/c on but saw Azeem’s comments. Not sure if all these rumours about a holiday off tomorrow (Thursday 2nd) is true but if so, I will be glad. Cannot sleep a wink. Hang in there boys and girls, especially the kiddies.
Keep your AC on. It filters the air and does not pull air from outside.
For real? Nothing wrong with using the AC?
Its terribly strong wind outside. Even with all windows closed and ACs switched off, not able to breathe as it is extremly dusty inside the home. Suffocating feel.
my son got fever, and I wanted to take him to medical center. when I opened the front door of the building to get going only I knew there is a terrible storm. couldn’t believe my eyes. home medication now 🙁
I was indoors when i began to smell dust. And after a while the room was foggy. It was later i came to know about the sandstorm. Why aint there any warning or forecast about such things?
Absolutely terrifying to look at a situation just like the tsunami a few years back….no warning and common people are all around…just a thought – is this part of the world any different compared to where we all come from when it comes to issues of a common man…
Guys this.is horrible.can’t sleep.suffcating 🙂 should have let us known early
get a spray bottle, fill it with water, and spray it everywhere throughout your home
Thats a good way to get damp mud into your breath.
clearly, you have already tried this technique and survived. congratulations!
Yeah now tat can b a solution. Tank kiity
I actually tried that. the only problem is- you gotta spray every 10 minutes.
well that is 1 of the reasons i could not sleep other than having asthma
Please don’t use hazard lights while driving. It’s confusing for everyone especially when someone wants to change lanes and the indicators are in use. Hazard lights are only meant for parked cars.
Except can also be used if in vehicle that is effectively disabled or distressed (power steering is out, etc) while moving to safer parking location. But agree not to be used during storm.
Understand about hazard lights but please be aware that there are new cars on the roads in Doha that are not fitted with fog lights so in extreme conditions better that you can see hazard lights than no lights.
Health Precautions
http://www.hmc.org.qa/en/hcp/news_and_features/features/health_precautions_during_dust_storms/health_precautions_during_dust_storms.aspx
My kids could not sleep all the while!
Very much afraid!
School websites does not say it’s holiday tomorrow!!
Hope it’s ok to switch on the AC
I’m reading that it’s ok to turn AC on: “During such a time, it is highly recommended that people remain indoors, keep the windows and doors closed properly and turn on the air-conditioner.”
http://www.qatarliving.com/forum/health-fitness/posts/take-precautions-during-summer-dust-storms
“If your air-conditioning filter is doing its job, it will catch that dust”
http://www.rosieonthehouse.com/faq_detail.aspx?id=1164
So, hopefully, we all have good filters for our AC and we change them after the storm.
Comn, its very clear :/
Source:
https://twitter.com/SEC_QATAR/status/583382146787590144
Possibly the first article on DN where Qataris are blamed. Yet.
Deleting for starting nonsense.
Visited SEC website, there’s no mention about tomorrow’s school holiday 🙁
Check their twitter acc SEC_QATAR
Thanks to MOI Doha and the author for sharing this news as not much info is available anywhere else – hopefully all are safe and most importantly hope our roads in Doha are safe too. Hopefully, the storm passes away soon.
tomorrow
We are suppose to fly out tomorrow evening. Does any one know if the flights will or have been cancelled?
Maybe check under your flight website they might list any flight cancellations or call their customer service.
Qatar spent $17 Billion on new airport and didn’t insulate it from the weather (this is real and i aint even surprised)
The thing is we’ve recently installed windows that we were told would be powerful enough to keep the dust and the rain out; and yet I’m breathing dust. I seriously have no idea HOW it managed to get in!
It gets in the same way air gets in your house, it is dust (tiny tiny particles)
funny, we installed them to keep the dust out. Actually we were assured that they would keep the dust out. Then again, yesterday’s sandstorm was one of the strongest we’ve had in years.
just landed into doha from Australia, we where in a holding pattern for approx 35 mins due to the sand , i was gone for a week … look what I’ve come back to 🙁
Even if school wasn’t cancelled, I would not send my kids outside in this weather condition. I cannot sleep because it’s so difficult to breathe. I had to mop the entired floor, sprayed water in the air with a spray bottle, put wet towels underneath all doors and windows, and I’m covering my nose and mouth inside the house. This seems to help some but still not complete relief. Oh and the air conditioners are on. Stay safe and try what I mentioned above it does help some especially for those who have asthma or dust allergy. Tomorrow I will need to repeat this process. Also apply vaseline inside kids noses to help relief dryness. Hope this helps.
is there any problem if i open my aircondition inside the house?…because it is hot already…please advice..thank u..stay safe Doha people..=D
I have them on and it helps with the dry air too. Read my message below for other tips I learned as well.
There seems to be no problem turning on the ACs, I have them on since last night.
Im just wondering what would this person do…
*facepalm*
Today to Office :p
Matar Qadeem @5.30AM
Doha College is cancelled for today. We have just received an official notification. Very wise decision.
in this like situation there still work in construction stie?
Morning after i gotup….. All things in home full dust!! Even though without any big ventilation…..after all closed also!!
sample below pic….
April.1.2015 #neverforget we will rebuild
lol. After the great earthquake of Doha, I don’t know how much more we can take of this. God is punishing us for driving big cars…
Don’t forget the great floods of salwa road
And who can forget the great hienz baked beans shortage of 2009, quickly followed by the ginger ale shortage of 2010. Tough times indeed
As if I am living on Mars 🙁
Easier said than done there are a lot of new cars on the roads over here that are not fitted with fog lights so if the cars are not visible with normal lights then they have no choice but to put on there hazard lights, should be no problem if people slow down while driving.
Is this the end ?
And in the end
the love you take
is equal to
the love
you make.
Made any love recently, Qatar???
the aftermath
Is there any chance of rain after this ???
Badly needed!