Rains expected today

Lakshmi Kothaneth -

Muscat, Feb. 1 -

Isolated rains are expected in Musandam on Thursday due to a trough of low pressure in the northern part of Oman, the Met office has said.

The coastal areas are expected to experience this phenomenon on Friday.

Al Hajar Mountains and the adjoining wilayats are also expected to receive rains.

Humidity and wind direction are ideal conditions for rain in the coastal areas of Oman Sea.

The low pressure trough experienced in Europe and Turkey is predicted to move eastward.

“Friday is expected to be the peak day. What is unique about this trough is that it is only for a very short period,” said the Met office at Public Authority for Civil Aviation. “This is likely to end on Friday or Saturday morning.”

Cloudy to partly cloudy skies are predicted over the governorates of Musandam, North Al Batinah and Al Buraimi with chances of isolated rain.

Sea is expected to be rough near Musandam and Oman Sea, with the waves likely to reach a height of 4-5 metres. “The wave height is high and this is serious for fishermen using small and medium-sized boats.

Fishermen should keep off the sea and follow weather forecasts closely,” the Met office has warned.

Clear skies are expected over most of the Sultanate with chances of late night to early morning low-level clouds or fog over the governorates of Al Dhahirah, Al Dakhiliyah, South Al Sharqiyah, North Al Sharqiyah, Al Wusta, Dhofar and along coastal areas of Oman Sea.

The state of the Arabian Sea is expected to be slight to moderate. “On Friday, it’ll be rough because the northwesterly will be crossing Oman on Friday morning and reaching the Arabian Sea coast.

This will result in a rise in the wave height,” said the Met office. Wind speed on land is expected to range between 20­-22 knots. Meanwhile, the northwesterly wind is likely to bring down the temperature. The Met office has warned motorists about low visibility (100-800 metres) due to the rising dust, especially in the desert and open areas.