Qatar residents, reeling under high heat and humidity typical of summer, would have to wait at least three more weeks to experience some relief with mercury dipping to about 35C from the present 40C plus temperature.
Global weather site accuweather.com has forecast a high of 39C on September 3, followed by a gradual decline with the peak temperature dipping to 35C between September 17 and 21 as against a historical average peak reading of 38C.
Though accuweather has not given any predictions from September 22, the historical peak temperature is 38C from September 23 to 25, and 37C from September 26 to October 4.
An official at the Forecast Office in the Department of Meteorology at Qatar Civil Aviation Authority told Gulf Times yesterday that the maximum temperature will range between 39C and 41C over the next five days and humidity between 35% and 85% over the next three days.
“The combination of high heat and humidity makes it extremely uncomfortable,” a Doha resident of 22 years told Gulf Times yesterday while observing that the summer has been getting unbearable over the past several years.
“We understand this is the case all over the world, and especially across the Gulf countries where summers are becoming more intense with each passing year,” he said.
It is the high humidity and an absence of strong breeze that contributes to the discomfort factor. For example, when the maximum temperature was 37C at 12.30pm yesterday, it felt much hotter and accuweather’s patented RealFeel temperature reading showed 54C.
The formula for calculating RealFeel incorporates the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation and elevation on the human body.
“If it is just dry heat alone, you will not sweat profusely, provided you stay in the shade,” said a fuel station attendant, who was completely drenched in sweat, as he reached for a bottle of water.
For people like him, who work in the open shade, the discomfort level is very high, irrespective of whether it is day or night. One peculiarity of the summer in the Gulf countries is that humidity remains high throughout night.
“If this is the case of those working in the shade, less said the better about the situation of labourers who toil in the sun,” he said.With the summer outdoor work ban from 11.30am to 3pm, enforced by the Ministry of Labour, set to expire tomorrow (Aug 31), labourers are hoping for an extension for one more month.
“It would be a big blessing if we are able to continue the summer work hours until the heat and humidity comes down,” a worker said around noon yesterday as he tried to cool off under a tree along with his colleagues.
Gulf Times
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