With the country all set to celebrate Eid Al Adha on Sunday, weathermen have forecast wet and windy holidays with chances of rains and a major drop in temperature over the next week. The Meteorology Department has warned of unstable weather conditions beginning tomorrow with the possibility of rains on Sunday - the first day of Eid- and strong northwesterly winds on the following days. People planning to visit the beaches during the holidays have been advised not to go out into the sea due to the turbulent weather. The strong northwesterly winds that are expected to lash the country beginning Monday would cause high seas and a significant fall in temperature by five to six degrees. The unstable weather is an extension of what is being experienced in the neighbouring countries, especially Saudi Arabia. However, it has no connection with the heavy rains that have caused flooding in Oman, said sources at the Meteorology Department. A forecaster at the Department told this newspaper yesterday that a warning would soon be issued to people going out into the sea during the holidays. The northwesterly winds are expected to blow at speeds ranging from 15 to 25 knots offshore and 10 to 12 knots inshore beginning Monday. “We are expecting rains on Sunday and strong northwesterly winds beginning Monday that would prevail until Wednesday. There are also chances of thunderstorm in some parts of the country during the holidays,” said the forecaster. The seasonal rains that the natives call “Al Wasmi” would mark the beginning of winter in Qatar. The country is now entering the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. This transitional period stretches for 52 days from October 15 to December 15. This period is normally characterised by strong northwesterly winds, intermittent rains and falling temperature, according to the Met Office. The Eid holidays are going to be colder, with the temperature expected to dip remarkably beginning Monday. The maximum temperature on Monday is expected to plummet by six degrees reaching 26, and the minimum temperature would settle at 19 degrees, said the Department. However, the winter this year is not expected to be extreme. The coldest winter in Qatar over the past 49 years was in 1963 with the temperature dipping to 12 degrees on some days. The Peninsula

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