Oman Meteorology has predicted a gradual rise in the maximum temperatures during the next three days, which may reach mid-forties (in degrees Celsius) and above in the desert areas.
The warning was seen as little surprise as temperatures were expected to subside in the coming days, with some people hoping that it will be the beginning of the end of the peak summer in the country.
Even the neighbouring UAE is expected to have temperatures as high as 47ºC in some places, including around 43ºC in Abu Dhabi and 42ºC in Dubai. In the coastal areas of the Sea of Oman and the Hajar Mountains, during the next two days, it will be above 40 degrees Celsius to mid-forties.
According to a report by the Nature Sustainability Journal, countries across the Gulf region and the Middle East are highly vulnerable to extreme heat borne out of climate change.
The report looks at how countries are exposed to “unprecedented heat” that it describes as mean annual temperatures of 29 degrees Celsius or higher. Authorities have urged people to take necessary measures to avoid sunstroke and heat exhaustion, especially workers who are exposed to sunlight and high temperatures.
"Companies should take proper care and tell workers to avoid exposure to sun, and ensure that they get enough rest periods and drink water," they said.
Experts said that extreme heat related to climate change has affected the productivity of various food sectors — including agricultural and fishery sectors — around the world, thereby aggravating food insecurity issues. Climate change is currently at the forefront of public and government consciousness due to the accelerated pace of changing climatic patterns being experienced in Oman.
The country is well-known for its sweltering summers and low annual rainfall, and it has become even hotter over the past five years.
Detailed climate simulation reveals that the Arabian Gulf and the Sultanate of Oman form a particular regional hotspot where climate change is likely to cross the survivability threshold in the absence of drastic carbon cuts.
Oman has developed a national strategy for adaptation and mitigation to climate change 2020-2040 to accelerate climate action's pace and scale. The strategic context for adaptation is rooted in Oman's ineluctable exposure to intensifying tropical cyclones, increasing temperatures and rising sea levels.
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