You’re not the only one who’s having trouble seeing Doha’s skyline. According to a forecaster at the Qatar Meteorology Department, the country is in the middle of a sandstorm that is expected to last until this evening.
On Twitter, the Ministry of Interior’s Arabic handle is urging caution on the roads as windy conditions decrease visibility.
بسبب الغبار العالق يتوقع انخفاض في مستوى الرؤية الأفقية خاصة في المناطق الخارجية .. يرجى توخي الحذر أثناء القيادة #الداخلية_قطر
— وزارة الداخلية – قطر (@MOI_Qatar) March 31, 2014
Speaking to Doha News, a MET forecaster said winds would abate a bit tomorrow. There will also be a chance of scattered rain across the country starting Tuesday, she added.
Tomorrow should also bring some relief on the heat front. According to Steff Gaulter, senior meteorologist at Al Jazeera English, today was Doha’s hottest day of 2014 so far:
I've been stuck in the office today, who's ventured outside?? Today is #Doha's hottest day of the year so far at 38C (100F).
— Steff Gaulter (@WeatherSteff) March 31, 2014
Gaulter told Doha News that the last sandstorm in Qatar was two weeks ago, on March 12 – at that time, visibility was 1.1km. She adds:
As @dohanews just pointed out, duststorm is great too! Vis here going to get worse. Vis in Bahrain 1km, Dhahran 500m
— Steff Gaulter (@WeatherSteff) March 31, 2014
Meanwhile, Weather.com is forecasting slightly cooler temperatures for the rest of the week, with highs from 29C to 32C (86F to 90F), and more chances for rain.
For those who are new to sandstorms, it’s important to take care around all that dust. Here are six tips to cope with this kind of weather.
Thoughts?
