Oman weather: Humidity causes temperatures to drop

Oman Tuesday 14/August/2018 21:15 PM
By: Times News Service
Oman weather: Humidity causes temperatures to drop

Muscat: Humidity in parts of coastal Oman is likely to cause respiratory problems among some people, medical professionals said.
Asthmatic people would be more prone to developing complications, as additional water vapour in the air would carry more viruses, doctors added.
An increase in humidity has also caused temperatures to drop in Muscat and surrounding coastal areas, Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) has revealed.
A strong sea breeze originating in the Arabian Sea and passing over the Sea of Oman is the reason for this, it added.
A PACA official remarked that humid conditions would continue in the coming days, adding that they were key in causing rainfall over the Al Hajar mountains.
Dr Bashir A P, head of internal medicine at Badr Al Sama Hospital, said that people living close to the coast would be more prone to respiratory irritation.
“If you live close to the beach, you are much more likely to be affected by respiratory problems. There are certain seaweed and fungi that make the system irritable. Similarly, people living in desert areas are also prone because of the dust, in addition to the humidity,” he said. “When it is humid, there is more water vapour in the air and due to it, everything, including dust is suspended in the air longer. Vapour also carries viruses that cause flu and pneumonia. So, people become more prone to respiratory problems.”
“People with bronchial asthma are most prone to respiratory problems in humid conditions as they are already vulnerable,” he added.
“There is 70 per cent humidity in Muscat and coastal areas close to the city. It is due to a sea breeze blowing in from the Sea of Oman, but its origin is in the Arabian Sea. For this reason, temperature in Muscat has dropped to around 35 to 36 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature may even drop to 27 degrees or so in the days to come,” a PACA meteorologist said.
The coastal areas are affected most because these regions receive the sea breeze directly, as opposed to other places that are further inland. This strong sea breeze is important because it leads to humid conditions, which further lead to the formation of convection clouds that cause rains over Al Hajar mountains,” the meteorologist said.
The official added that though the sea breeze brought relief from soaring temperatures, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
“You have to realise that this is quite normal in the region. We see this all the time. Breeze blows in and cools everything down,” he remarked.
Muscat is not the only city that has been affected by this phenomenon. In fact, all cities close to the Gulf of Oman coast, including those in the Sultanate’s exclave, Musandam and coastal cities in neighbouring countries, such as the UAE, have been affected.