Poor weather conditions caused flooding in Khor Al Udeid winter camps.

High tides witnessed in the past two days have flooded winter camps and damaged several vehicles in Khor Al Udeid, according to local media outlets.

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The Meteorological Department said that seawater crashed 700 metres into shore as the tide rose to 2.3 metres. Several vehicles and portacabins were damaged by water-logging.

Khor Al Udeid is a popular spot for setting up winter camps.

“The Sealine and Khor Al Udeid areas witness a huge turnout of citizens and residents who are visiting beaches but a lack of familiarity with the place leads to serious accidents, especially since the Khor Al Udeid area is famous for its ‘sabkhas’ that are affected by the tides and the water level is high,” said Ali Ghanem Al Hamidi of the Natural Reserves Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment.

“It causes cars to sink and makes it difficult to retrieve them, thus exposing families to dangers,” the official added.

Despite warnings by the Meteorological Department, some camp owners continued with camping plans, added Al Hamidi.

Read also: Top 6 Qatar camping, beach spots to visit this season

Patrols are present at Sealine and Khor Al Udeid beaches to alert the public amid bad weather conditions to limit the scope of damage.

Al Hamidi urged the public to be cautious while visiting Khor Al Udeid and to not take instruction and warnings from authorities lightly.

“If you don’t want your cars to be submerged in water, you must follow the safety instructions and the daily weather warnings about the tides. Also, you should not venture into these areas without the help of a tour guide,” he added.

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