Chance of rain towards month-end

There is a chance of rain towards the end of this month, especially in the northern parts of the country, the Qatar Met department has said citing the long-range climate outlook.

In a detailed report, the weather office said the prediction for the next four weeks (November 10 to December 7) is based on forecast models available as on November 8.However, it also clarified that "this forecast is changeable". "Given that we update these outlooks every Thursday, the forecasts for the later part of the month may vary. So, we encourage users to check our updated outlook every week," the Met department said in a report available on its website (http://qweather.gov.qa/ClimateOutlookMonthly.aspx).According to the outlook, it appears that there is chance of rainfall activity in the third week of the above-mentioned period (November 24-30), mainly in the northern parts of Qatar.Also, wind patterns suggest that there is a possibility of shamals in the first, second and fourth weeks during this period.The daytime (maximum) temperature is expected to be slightly above normal in the first week (November 10-16), while the weekly mean maximum temperature is expected to be in the range of 24-35C. Generally, higher temperatures will prevail in the southern parts, the outlook states.The night (minimum) temperature, on the other hand, is likely to be near the normal levels in the first three weeks (November 10-30) of this period, according to the Met department. In the fourth week (December 1-7), though, it will be slightly below normal in the southern parts of Qatar. In general, the temperature is expected to be below normal in most parts of the GCC region from the second week until the end of the period (November 17-December 7), with the weekly mean minimum temperature likely to be in the range of 15-30C.Marine warningStrong winds and high waves have been forecast in offshore areas from Sunday until Tuesday, November 14, the Qatar Met department has said. Issuing a marine warning in this regard, the weather office urged people to avoid venturing into the sea during this period due to the expected conditions. The warning for fresh to strong northwesterly winds is expected to come into effect tomorrow and continue until Tuesday, with the wind speed likely to range from 18-25 knots and reach a high of 30 knots in some areas. High waves measuring 4-7ft are also expected, and this may go up to 10ft at times, according to the Met department.Also, a drop in temperature is expected early next week due to fresh northwesterly winds.