Fast duration to be over 14 hours this Ramadhan

MUSCAT, May 14 - The fasting duration is expected to be over 14 hours in the early days of the holy month of Ramadhan. Day temperatures are likely to stay above 40 degrees Celsius as per the sources in the meteorology department. On the first day of Ramadhan, the call to Fajr prayer will be at 4.01 am and the call to Maghrib will be at 6.47 pm, which means the fasting duration will be 14 hours and 46 minutes to be precise. On May 31, the call to Fajr prayer will be at 3.54 am and the call to Maghrib will be at 6.54 pm. Towards the closing last days of the holy month, the call to Fajr prayer will be at 3.52 am and call to Maghrib will be at 7.01 pm, as per the prayers timings listed by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs. Health experts have urged those fasting to focus on the quality of food for Suhoor as it will help stay fit for the long period. “Plenty of water should be consumed during non-fasting hours and the intake of fried and fatty foods should be restricted as much possible,” said an expert. “It is important how we plan our work, sleep and food schedule to stay fit and fresh during the fasting hours,” said Shafeer, an expat, who has spent a lot of hours outdoors in the scorching heat due to work. VINOD NAIR