Muscat: Warm, dry winds blowing from the Arabian Gulf pushed temperatures in Muscat above 41 degree Celsius, making it one of the hottest places in the country.
On Sunday, March 21, the weather monitoring centre at Muscat International Airport recorded temperatures of 41.3 degrees Celsius.
“The weather is expected to stay like this from about 11 am to 4 pm for the next few days,” said a meteorologist at the Directorate General of Meteorology at the Civil Aviation Authority. “After that, the temperatures are likely to fall to about 29 or 30 degrees in the evenings, but in the interiors, primarily in the desert areas, the weather will stay the same.”
Light to moderate winds are expected over Muscat and the northern governorates. Sur, the capital of the South Sharqiyah Governorate, saw temperatures reach 40.7 degrees, with similar readings seen in Quriyat (40.6 degrees), Al Amerat, and in the interiors of Qarn Al Alam (both 40.5 degrees Celsius).
Many of the lowest temperatures recorded in the country also inched towards the 20 degree mark. The mercury in Buraimi (18.8 degrees) made it one of the most pleasant places in the country to be right now.
People living in Yanqul (18.2 degrees) and Marmul (18.2 degrees) can also continue to enjoy good weather for a while.
Wilayat Sunaynah in the Governorate of Buraimi saw temperatures of 17.9 degrees Celsius, and even the Saiq plateau, which often records readings in single figures, saw temperatures rise to 15.6 degrees.
Temperatures were in the high 30s across key towns and cities in the country, including Sohar (39 degrees), Ibra (37 degrees), Masirah (35 degrees), Rustaq (38 degrees), Haima, and Duqm (both 39 degrees).
High temperatures were also felt in places such as Nizwa, Ibri, Al Ashkarah and Thumrait (all 38 degrees), while Khasab in the northern Musandam governorate (34 degrees) and Salalah in the southern Dhofar region (31 degrees) had slightly better weather.