Torsten Spiller/Flickr
Photo for illustrative purposes only.
Qatar residents should expect to wake up to rain tomorrow morning, the first of several days of precipitation during a new period of “unstable weather,” local meteorologists have said.
According to the Qatar Meteorology Department (MET), the upcoming downpours are due to the passage of a low front that includes “moist northeasterly to easterly light to moderate winds.”
In a statement, the MET added:
“Low and medium clouds are expected to increase gradually with a forecast for moderate to heavy rains (thundery at times) over most areas in Qatar. It’s expected that skies will become gradually stable by Friday.
Several parts of Qatar have already seen scattered rains this month, though the capital has remained fairly dry.
However, according to Steff Gaulter, senior meteorologist for Al Jazeera English, this week’s downpours will definitely hit Doha:
Doha peeps, there's rain coming! Tuesday's looking wet and maybe Wednesday & Thursday too
— Steff Gaulter (@WeatherSteff) November 21, 2015
Speaking to Doha News, Gaulter said the rain should begin in the early hours of the morning tomorrow, and then continue on Wednesday and Thursday.
“It’ll be a decent amount of rain too, heavy at times, so expect large puddles on the roads,” she said, adding that motorists should slow down during this time and leave more space between vehicles.
Flooding
Though the beginning of Qatar’s short rainy season is warmly welcomed by most residents, the downpours can also be a nuisance due to the country’s poor drainage network.
Roads, underpasses and even buildings can become flooded after heavy rains.
Anticipating these problems, the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP) has tweeted several phone numbers for residents in need of water removal:
Met.Dept predicted rains in different parts of #Qatar . To remove the rain water call on the following numbers. pic.twitter.com/7OaKVtY5YK
— Baladiya (@Baladiya1) November 20, 2015
While the high today is hovering around 28C (82F) and the low around 21C (70F), the rain is also expected to lead to lower temperatures in Qatar this week.
According to Gaulter, top temperatures with the rain will hover around 23C (73F).
In short: don’t wash your car this week, factor in extra commuting time on the roads and consider packing a sweater when going out.
Thoughts?
(The post Thunderstorms forecast for Doha this week is from Doha News.)