Cairo: Large parts of the Gulf region are shivering in a cold snap as part of a severe polar wave that has hit the Middle East this week, regional weather experts have said.
The cold snap has particularly taken a toll in Kuwait where the mercury has dipped to minus the zero at night in some areas of the Gulf country.
The bad weather has forced many pupils to stay away from their schools amid high absentism, Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai reported Tuesday.
Kuwaiti education authorities have authorised school principals to consider the cold weather a reason or not justifying pupils’ no-show, according to the paper. The school principals have also been authorised to cancel the morning line if they deemed it a necessary step necessary due to the cold wave that started in Kuwait on Monday.
Meteorologists in the country expect the drop in temperatures to continue on Wednesday when they will dip to below zero in desert areas and range between four and two centigrades inside Kuwait.
Authorities in Kuwait have warned motorists mainly on high ways against poor visibility levels and sand-laden winds. Farmers have, meanwhile, been urged to take precautions to protect their plantations against dawn frost.
The Saudi General Authority of Meteorology and Environment Protection has, meanwhile, predicted temperatures to plummet below the zero centigrade Wednesday morning in several parts of the kingdom including the northern border areas and the capital Riyadh.
Thunderous rains, accompanied by strong winds, were also expected Tuesday in several Saudi provinces.
In Bahrain, Tuesday’s weather was reported to be cold and partly cloudy with weather authorities warning against high-speed winds. Temperatures were expected in Bahrain to reach 17 centigrades in daylight and dip to 10 at night.
In Oman, the weather was clear to partly cloudy in the Sultanate with possible rainfall in some areas, according to the official news agency. Maximum temperatures were expected in Oman to reach 28 centigrades on Tuesday against a minimum of eight.
