Muscat: A low pressure trough is to have impact on all the governorates of Oman with varying intensity. The Public Authority for Civil Aviation has urged the public to take precaution during rain and not to cross wadis. It also requested the public to adhere to the Supreme Committee for dealing with COVID-19 by staying at home and never leave unless it is necessary.
The weather analysis in the National Multi Hazard Early Warning Center indicates that the trough of low pressure, Al Rahma Trough, will affect the Sultanate from Friday March 20 till Wednesday March 23, 2020.
According to the weather forecaster at Oman Met Office of Public Authority of Civil Aviation, there are chances of rain starting from Friday, which is expected to peak on Saturday and Sunday and moving on with scattered rains thereafter.
“The trough of low pressure is centered over Iran. The trough is expected to have an impact almost whole of the Sultanate as the conditions are ideal. The trough will be associated with strong rain and thundershowers along with fresh wind,” said the weather forecaster.
From Musandam to Al Wusta as well as parts of Dhofar are expected to experience the impact of the trough but with different intensity. The trough affect is to be experienced over governorates of Musandam, Al Buraimi, North Al Batinah, South Al Batinah Al Dakhiliyah, Muscat, North Al Sharqiyah, South Al Sharqiyah and parts of Al Wusta and Dhofar.
Associated with the trough is also the fresh south easterly wind which could cause dust rising from the desert areas before the rain. “After the rain, dust rising will settle down. The areas that are expected to experience this dust rising are Al Wusta, Dhofar and Al Dhahira,” he pointed out. The fresh easterly wind is expected on Friday and Saturday (March 20-21, 2020). This would be followed by northwesterly wind over the northern governorates of the Sultanate.
During the trough the sea is expected to be moderate to rough with wave heights ranging between two to three metres over most of the coastal areas of the Sultanate.
According to the general weather forecast, mainly clear skies with high and medium clouds advection may give isolated light rain over most of the sultanate with chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches along the coastal areas of Oman Sea and over South Al Sharqiyah, Al Wusta and Dhofar governorates.
Clear to partly cloudy day with chance of isolated rain over Musandam Governorate is expected on Friday.
Highest temperature has been recorded in Thumrait with 33 degrees Celsius and a low of 18 degrees Celsius while the lowest temperature was recorded in Jabal Shams with a high of 18 degrees Celsius and a low of 11 degrees Celsius.
The hashtag for the trough to follow updates on line is #AL-Rahma_03_2020.
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