‘Weather difficult to predict due to climate change’

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 2: A severe winter awaits Kuwaitis and residents, where the temperature is expected to drop to one degree Celsius, but despite the unpredictability rains will not be as much as last year that flooded the country, reports Al-Rai daily.

This is confirmed by meteorologists who spoke to Al-Rai, but stressed on the need to form an emergency committee, such as the one that was set up last year to deal with any emergency in the event of bad weather.

“Predicting weather has become difficult in recent years due to climate change that has affected the global climate,” said Mohammad Karam, a former meteorologist and director of the Meteorological Department.

Karam pointed out that the recently published studies indicate a decline in solar activity that diminishes sunspots, which will cause a drop in temperatures for the next winter, and it is possible to say that the coming winter will be cold, and temperatures may reach a level of one or two degrees.

Regarding the amount of rainfall expected compared to last year, he explained that last year’s rainfall can be classified as ‘unique’ and noted that in November 1997 rains in large quantities caused deaths and floods so “I do not think that the next winter will be exposed to rain like last year.”

“I believe in the necessary preparations to avoid any emergency related to violent weather and to avoid any material loss of life or property and this can be done by reactivating the emergency room as it was in the previous season and the continuation with the warning bulletins,” he said.

Regarding how to benefit from rain water, he said the UAE has made underground water reservoirs, where this water is collected and used for irrigation and for agriculture, and “we have the necessary capabilities to benefit from rain water which averages between 130 to 150 millimeters,” he said.

Professor in the Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, Dr Mohammed ShafiAbdullah said that “Kuwait’s climate is a desert climate characterized by hot, dry and warm summer and tends to be cold during winter accompanied by winter rains although little and irregular in terms of precipitation and the fall season.”