Dusty and warm winds commonly occur in Qatar and the rest of the Gulf region.

Recent heavy wind in Doha are not related to climate change and is instead part of an annual weather trend, Sheikh Salman bin Jabor Al Thani, President of the Qatar Astronomical Center, said on Saturday.

In a video he posted on Twitter, the Qatari official said the recent weather is known as the “Al Bawareh Winds”, which appears every year between mid May and June.

“This is when dates develop and grow, usually they [the winds] are very dry and even, Glory be to Allah, wounds are healed,” Al Thani said.

He advised weather watchers to look back on trends before assuming such events are linked to climate change.

“What we’re seeing now is normal,” he assured.

Qatar and the wider GCC region regularly face dusty and warm winds during the Al Bawareh season, triggering dust and sand storms that result in low visibility.

On Friday, the Qatar Meteorology Department detected “fresh to strong Northwesterly winds” and the formation of “medium density dust mass in the North of the Arabian Peninsula”.

On Sunday, the weather department advised the public to avoid direct exposure to dust and frequently wash their face, nose and mouth.

“Keep wearing a mask to avoid dust from entering your respiratory system. When dust gets into your eyes, avoid rubbing them and rinse immediately with water,” the weather department added.