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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Mercury drops as it rains in Salalah

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Salalah, July 3 - Even as the monsoon season began as per the official calendar on June 21 with sporadic drizzling in some parts of Salalah, the city received its first rains of the season on Tuesday.


The news of the rain — which started at around 3 am — seemed to spread all over through word of mouth or social media as the city roads became crowded with cars early in the morning. By afternoon, there were long queues of vehicles at all traffic junctions.


The moderate rains brought the mercury levels down by two degrees all over the city, which is readying itself to receive tourists in large numbers in the coming days.


The temperature here is ranging between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius, while the entire GCC is experiencing temperatures in the range of 40-48 degrees Celsius.


Tourists from the GCC countries have already started flowing in.


A visitor from Saudi Arabia, who is staying at the Al Baleed Resort Salalah, was apparently pleased with the rain and admitted he was experiencing the best of Oman, “which has a rich culture and very hospitable people”. He plans to stay for a week in the city.


Ayan, a young boy from Riyadh, was found enjoying the weather along with his family. He said the “weather in Salalah was amazing” with light rain, clouds and low temperature.


Some water patches have developed in the low lying areas in New Salalah, Sanaya and other parts of the city, while all villages at the mountains are receiving rain.


Ali al Shahri, a resident of Jabal Hamrir, said the monsoon was restricted only to a limited area, from the west of Jabal Samhan to Dhalkout, which he termed the “umbrella of Khareef”.


The coffee shops, which mostly see customers during evenings, thanks to ongoing Fifa World Cup, are full of customers even during the day. Owners apparently are happy as the Khareef business has started rather early this year.


A distinctive natural diversity can be seen in Dhofar. The coast blends with the mountains and the desert in harmony.


The mountains look like a fertile crescent, rising to a height of 1,500 metres and then descending into a flat plain that embraces sandy beaches stretching for hundreds of kilometres.


Salalah enjoys pleasant temperatures of 20-26 degrees Celsius when most parts of the Arabian Peninsula see mercury levels soaring beyond 45 degrees Celsius in summer.


It is time to take shelter under the ‘umbrella of Khareef’ to beat the heat.


Kaushalendra Singh


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