Air traffic normal as sea ports halt ship op

KUWAIT CITY, June 13: The weather forecast observer at the Meteorological Department, Abdulaziz Al-Qarawi, confirmed the unstable weather will continue until end of the week, with dust laden winds blowing at up to 70 km/h, especially in the open and desert areas. Al-Qarawi told Al-Seyassah daily the weather Saturday was hot and dusty, with northwesterly moderate to strong winds, blowing at intervals, as the temperature reached between 44-46 degrees Celsius. The sea condition was light to moderate, with waves sometimes reaching between 2 to 6 feet high. Al-Qarawi, said in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the weather Sunday would be hot and dusty and will continue till evening. Northwesterly active winds are expected to be between 40 and 70 kilometers per hour, with maximum temperatures between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius, and the sea condition moderate to waves between 4 and 8 feet high.

Temperature
He explained that the weather on Monday will be hot and dusty, with northwesterly moderate to brisk winds, with strong speeds at intervals between 25 and 65 kilometers per hour and the expected maximum temperatures between 44 and 46 degrees Celsius, and the state of the sea is moderate to high, with waves between 3 and 8 feet. He indicated that the weather Monday evening will be hot with northwesterly light to moderate winds, active at intervals between 15 and 45 kilometers per hour, and the expected minimum temperature is between 33 and 31 degrees Celsius, and the state of the sea is light to moderate, and the waves sometimes rise between 2 and 6 feet. On Tuesday, weather is expected to be hot, with northwesterly moderate to brisk winds, with a speed of between 25 and 50 kilometers per hour, causing dust, and expected maximum temperatures between 45 and 47 degrees Celsius, and the state of the seas being moderate to high, with waves between 3 and 7 feet.

He added that the weather on Tuesday evening will be hot, with northwesterly moderate to active winds, with speeds between 20 and 55 kilometers per hour, causing dust, and the expected minimum temperature between 33 and 31 degrees Celsius, and the state of the sea is moderate to high, with waves between 3 and 7 feet. Regarding the weather on Wednesday, he indicated that it will be hot and dusty, with northwesterly moderate to active winds, speed between 25 and 55 kilometers per hour, and the expected minimum temperature between 32 and 33 degrees Celsius, and the state of the sea moderate to high, with waves between 3 and 7 feet. He pointed out that the weather on Wednesday evening will be hot to hot, with northwesterly moderate to active winds, with speeds between 20 and 50 kilometers per hour, and the expected minimum temperature between 34 and 32 degrees Celsius, and the state of the sea is moderate to high, with waves between 3 and 7 feet. Al-Qarawi said that the weather on Thursday will be hot and dusty, with northwesterly moderate to brisk winds, with speeds of severe between 25 and 65 kilometers per hour, and the expected maximum temperatures between 44 and 46 degrees Celsius, and the state of the sea is moderate to high, with waves between 4 and 8 feet. The weather on Thursday evening is expected to be hot to hot and dusty, with northwesterly moderate to active winds, with speeds between 20 and 55 kilometers per hour, and the expected minimum temperature between 33 and 31 degrees Celsius, and the state of the sea being moderate to high, with waves between 3 and 7 feet. The Ministry of Interior has advised citizens and residents to exercise caution because of the unstable weather conditions that the country is witnessing in some areas, especially the open areas.

Emergency
In a statement the Directorate-General of Public Relations and Security Media Department of the Interior Ministry urged everyone not to hesitate, when necessary, to call the emergency phone (112) or civil defense operations (1804000) for any humanitarian, security or traffic assistance. The ministry also appealed to citizens and residents who go to the sea to contact the Coast Guard operations (1880888) when faced with any emergency. Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti General Administration of Civil Aviation said on Sunday that air traffic at Kuwait International Airport is proceeding normally, despite fluctuations in weather conditions and the wave of dust that the country is currently witnessing.

The Deputy Director-General for Planning and Projects Affairs and the official spokesman for Civil Aviation Saad Al-Otaibi said in a statement to KUNA that the movement of aircraft was not affected by the current weather Al-Otaibi added that the level of visibility allowed at takeoff and landing depends on what is allowed by the standards adopted at the airport, in addition to the aircraft’s license and the pilots’ licence. He indicated that the visibility rate that affects air traffic when it reaches less than 300 meters according to the standards followed, stressing that all relevant measures are taken to ensure the safety of air traffic. In related news, the Kuwait Ports Corporation announced Sunday the temporary suspension of maritime traffic in the ports of Shuwaikh, Shuaiba and Doha due to fl uctuations in weather conditions. The Corporation said in a statement to KUNA that the entry and exit operations of ships in the three ports stopped Sunday at eight o’clock in the morning. She attributed the suspension of maritime traffic to an increase in wind speeds of 30 knots (about 55 kilometers) per hour and high waves.

By Faris Al-Abdan Al-Seyassah, Arab Times Staff and Agencies