Manama: Qatar sizzled as the mercury shot up to 50 degrees Celsius, making for the hottest day the country has witnessed in recent years and prompting calls to private and public companies not to expose their workers to the sun in the coming days.
Though the meteorological department recorded the country's maximum temperature at 50 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, weather monitoring equipment put up by the Qatar Scientific Club (QSC) on its premises showed the mercury hitting 53 degrees Celsius at 2pm, Qatari daily The Peninsula reported.
According to the met office, Abu Samra and Mesaieed had maximum temperatures of 50 degrees and 49 degrees, respectively. Doha, Dukhan and Al Khor stations recorded 48 degrees Celsius, while Al Ruwais recorded 45.
The highest temperatures in Qatar are recorded in June and July, only on a very few occasions has the mercury passed the 49 degree Celsius mark.
The initial weeks of summer saw temperatures five to seven degrees Celsius higher than the corresponding period last year. After hovering above 45 degrees Celsius, the mercury soared to 48 degrees Celsius in the last week of June 2010.
When the mercury touched the 48 degrees Celsius mark in 2008, the sea water temperature soared to 37 degrees Celsius, a level that is harmful to marine life, according to marine experts. Sources said 90 per cent of the fishing boats had not ventured to sea in the last three days, the daily reported.
