Gulf | Oman
Omani residents brace for a harsh summer as temperature reaches 40C
The mercury has already crossed the 40 degree Celsius mark as Muscat residents brace for a harsher summer after a long period of pleasant weather in this coastal nation.
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
- Published: 16:32 April 30, 2008
- Children beat the heat by jumping into the sea at Muscat's corniche which has recently been rebuilt in the wake of the country's tourism boom.
- Image Credit: Brian Espinosa/Gulf News
Muscat: The mercury has already crossed the 40 degree Celsius mark as Muscat residents brace for a harsher summer after a long period of pleasant weather in this coastal nation.
“It seems the summer has come a bit early, at least the afternoons are much hotter than in the past,'' said Mohammed Noor, a Bangladeshi watchman, who has been working in Oman for the last eight years.
He added that it usually starts to get warmer at the end of April and May but definitely not this hot.
However, a meteorological department offcial in Muscat called it a typical start to a summer.
“Whenever there has been south westerly wind it is this hot,'' said the forecaster, requesting anonymity. “We have instructions not to talk to the media without prior permission.''
The department in general willingly gives information to the general public and also has an SMS information facility but follows a procedure of written questions and answers while dealing with the media.
However, the official said the maximum prevailing temperature was 41C while the minimum was 26C during the early hours and late at night.
Those working outdoor are suffering the most.
“Until mid-April we used to deliver water from evening to late afternoon or early evening but now with the days getting hotter we deliver only until noon,'' said Salim Mohammed, who works as a salesman with an Omani driver for home delivery of mineral water.
Now, he says, they take two days to complete the supply of a locality which in normal circumstances would take a day.
Omani driving school instructors also have has to bear the brunt of the summer heat.
“Even umbrellas are not enough to shield us from the harsh summer sun, but we must go on as demand for new learners is increasing,'' Dad Mohammed said.
It is the law that only nationals can give driving lessons in Oman.
Oman is currently going through a real estate boom with every available empty plot taken for construction activity, especially in Muscat.
“We have to complete our work in a given timeframe as demand for housing is high, therefore even in the intense heat we cannot stop working,'' Ismail Mehdi, a construction supervisor at a site in Muscat told Gulf News.
Last year, tropical cyclone Gonu hit Oman in June, drastically bringing down temperatures in the aftermath of the natural disaster.
“Seems we are in for a very hot and prolonged period,'' fears banker Hardik Gahrekhan, who has lived in Oman for the last 31 years.
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