SECTION 2 : Inclement Weather

SECTION 2 : Inclement Weather

Rains break 42-year record
Web posted at: 12/8/2006 8:14:38
Source ::: The Peninsula
Several Asian Games events rescheduled as clouds descend over Doha
DOHA • While a few records are being broken at the Doha Asian Games, this December is all set to create another record for Doha with the highest rainfall over the past 42 years, following torrential rains yesterday.

The record rains, perhaps, came at the wrong time, forcing Asian Games organisers to reschedule several events. While the Games have had little impact on normal life in the city, the rains have disrupted life over the past one week.

Doha city recorded 13.3mm rains from morning until noon yesterday, which is the highest received in a single day so far this month, officials of the Meteorology Department said yesterday. The total rainfall received this month till date has been 25mm, which is a record over the past 42 years. The country receives an average of 13mm rains throughout December every year..

The highest-ever rains recorded were in 1964, when the country had 155mm of rainfall. One day alone in that year showed 80mm of rainfall, Met officials said.
The rains that started early morning yesterday continued throughout the day, literally paralysing life in the city. Doha city received the highest rains (13.3m) until noon while Ruwais in the north recorded 5.8mm. Al Khor had 2.8mm. The rains are expected to continue until noon today, a forecaster from the Met Office said.

Since morning yesterday, the Met Office was flooded with calls from people seeking information about the rains, sources said.

The continuous showers flooded many streets and roundabouts in the city, making vehicular movement slow and extremely difficult, especially in the poorly-maintained interior roads. Several tankers were pressed into service by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Doha Municipality to drain out waterlogged areas.

Residents complained of delays in the city bus service operated by Mowasalat on some routes. An affected passenger said he had to wait one-and-a half hours to catch a bus from the central bus terminus to the City Center Mall starting from 8.30am. A senior official from Mowasalat, however, said he was not aware of any delay. He claimed that the bus service, in general, was not affected much by the rains and the company was not forced to make any change in timings.

Despite the heavy downpour, no major accidents were reported yesterday, according to Col Mohammed Saad Al Kharji, Director of the Traffic and Patrol Department.
"I was told about two accidents but there were no casualties reported. The traffic was flowing more or less smoothly, despite the rains," Mohammed Saad told The Peninsula last evening.

He said 10 traffic patrol teams had been deployed to assist in pumping out water from logged areas.


Rains break season’s record
Web posted at: 12/18/2006 2:56:38
Source ::: The Peninsula


A tanker draining out logged rainwater in Al Khor.
Two-day wet spell leaves residents freezing; Industrial Area labour camps marooned
DOHA • Qatar received the season's record high 20.1 mm rain during the last two days. The meteorological office said the quantity of rainfall in Qatar ranged from 15mm to 20.1 these days.
Ruwais in Northern Qatar recorded the highest rain fall – 44.6 mm. Rawdat El Faras recorded the second highest rain fall-24.4 mm.
While Doha Montaza and Doha received 21.6 mm and 20.4 mm rain fall respectively Mesaieed received 20.1 mm. Al Khor received 15.6 mm. the lowest rate of rain fall is recorded in Al Atoureyah-15.5 mm.


ACCIDENT INJURES THREE: A vehicle lost control and slammed onto a palm tree on C-Ring Road last night.. Three Arab expatriates were seriously injured in the accident and have been admitted to hospital. (SHAIVAL DALAL)
Though there is no official confirmation, there are all indications that Qatar has received its highest-ever rain fall during the current season. Long time residents told this newspaper that they had never witnessed such a heavy rain in Qatar during the last four decades.
However, the season's record rain has virtually thrown the life out-of- gear in Industrial area. The inclement weather forced several companies to restrict the working hours of open-site-labourers to four hours, yesterday.
Heavy rains, accompanied by strong south-easterly chilly wind, had turned the weather into frozen stiff. As the workers found it difficult to cope with the rough weather, the employers were forced to send them back to their respective labour camps by 9 am, sources said
With the minimum temperature dipping to a record 10 degree Celsius and rain continuing to lash across the area, workers at several camps fell sick. Long queues were seen in front of the labour camp clinics. Adding to their woe, logged rain water had leaked into some of the portacabins, where they are staying. Some companies have started distributing woolen clothes to their workers to beat the winter.
Contrary to the official forecast of minimum temperature of 12 degree Celsius, the mercury further depleted to 10 degree Celsius by 4 pm, the lowest of the season.
At the Industrial area, several labour camps were marooned. And workers could not venture out in the morning.
The roads leading to many labour camps have gone under water. The s were forced to wade through the hip-deep water to reach their pick-up vans parked at long distance. Main roads leading to Al Attiya market and the Mosque are totally submerged in the rain water. Major roads like Street No. 39, 15, 45,23 and 12 are the worst-hit.
In Al Khor, 30-odd tankers were pressed into service to drain out the logged waters from main streets. The tankers took isx hours to clear the main roads.
MET office forecast a further depletion in temperature today. The maximum temperature is expected to go down from yesterday's 21 degree Celsius to 15 degree Celsius. The minimum temperature will plummet to 9 degree Celsius from yesterday's 10 degree Celsius.
Meanwhile, Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and the Ministry of Municipal and Agriculture Affairs (MMAA), engaged jointly to combat the waterlogging menace had a tough time yesterday.. Despite their frantic efforts to combat the menace, many streets are still lying under water, making vehicular traffic extremely difficult.
The Ministry of Interior has started sending text messages through mobile phones cautioning drivers. Sagar Salem Al Muraihi,Director, Airport traffic Department, told The Peninsula that no rain-related accidents have been reported so far.

Rains cripple city and suburbs
Web posted at: 12/17/2006 2:4:23
Source ::: The Peninsula


Traffic moving on a snail's pace on a city road due to heavy rains, yesterday. (Shaival Dalal)
DOHA • Torrential rains paralysed normal life in Doha and suburbs yesterday.
Several roundabouts and low lying areas were inundated in the six-hour- long incessant rains. Traffic came to a grind halt at several locations. Corniche roads, Doha Jadeed, Umm Ghuwalina, D-Ring road, Hilal, Old Airport were some of the worst-hit areas in Doha.
Several locations in Industrial Area were once again flooded yesterday as heavy rains lashed across the area for hours. Normal traffic was hit on Salwa road due to flood.
The incessant rain proved the Public Works Authority's (Ashghal) innovative preparations to combat the waterlogging menace futile. Termed as a new mechanism to contain the menace, Ashghal had drilled bore-wells in the vulnerable areas. The idea was to drain out rain water into these wells. However, the entire exercise proved futile, when several such locations were flooded by noon.
According to the Meteorology Department, the northern part of Qatar received heavy rains yesterday. In Doha, the morning drizzle intensified by noon and continued to rain till late night. The slow movements of vehicles through the puddle water caused traffic congestion at several places.
Meanwhile, the rain water management committee, set up by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture (MMAA), claimed that they working on a non-stop arrangement to combat the menace. Abdul Hadid Al Kuwari, the committee chairman, said it had operated a minimum 260 trips of tanker service to drain out the logged rian water from various parts of Doha. A total of 1269 services were operated across the country on yesterday. Maximum quantity of rain water was begin drained out from Al Rayyan area-300, he said.
Meanwhile the Met authorities forecast an intermittent thunder showers today.
The daily weather forecast report indicated the season's record depletion of mercury-12 degree Celsius. The maximum expected temperature is 19 degree Celsius.
The winds would be exceptionally strong offshore and could reach 25 knots at times. Onshore, the wind could wary between 8 to 16 knots and on occasions it could reach 22 knots.

to be cont...