More rain forecast until weekend

The country is expected to continue experiencing rain and thunder until this weekend, with the unstable conditions intensifying from tomorrow evening until Friday, Met department has said.
This is to be followed by a spell, from Saturday until Monday, during which the temperature is likely to drop significantly across Qatar.
As had been forecast, different parts of the country received rain yesterday as well, with moderate to heavy showers reported from Doha in the evening. The rain, though, failed to deter thousands of Qatar’s residents who participated in the National Sport Day activities from early in the morning.
In a report yesterday, the Met department said numerical weather prediction charts showed unstable weather conditions were expected to continue until Friday, February 17.
Cloudy skies and hazy to misty conditions will continue and there are chances of intermittent scattered rain, light to moderate in intensity. The rain may become thundery at times, especially during the evening and night, due to “short-lived convective clouds”, the weather office explained.
In particular, the unstable weather is expected to intensify from tomorrow evening until Friday, with an increase in rainfall that will be moderate to heavy in intensity and thundery over most areas.
The wind conditions will be northeasterly to southerly, light to moderate in nature and becoming fresh at times during thundershowers.
Then, from Saturday dawn (February 18), a Siberian high-pressure system is expected to affect the country, according to the weather report. Northwesterly fresh to strong winds will blow over most areas until Monday (February 20) and this period will see a “noticeable drop in temperatures – especially at night and early in the morning – as well as high waves.
Meanwhile, today’s forecast says thundershowers are expected in some places along with strong winds and low visibility. Windy conditions, high seas and thundery rain are also likely in offshore areas.
The wind speed may go up to 25 knots in inshore areas and 30 knots offshore during thunder and rain, while the sea level is expected to rise to 12ft.
Cloudy conditions will prevail in the country and the rain will generally be scattered in both inshore and offshore areas, becoming thundery at times.

More than 3mn gallons of water drained
Rain emergency teams at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) drained out more than 3mn gallons of rainwater across the country from early yesterday until 12noon. The operations were carried out in 733 batches and involved 158 tankers and 374 workers and employees divided into separate teams. Work would continue to remove rainwater from other affected areas in order to ensure smooth traffic circulation and people’s movement, an MME official said.
Waterlogging was reported from parts of Doha and other places yesterday following moderate to heavy rain. The capital saw rainfall of varying intensity, including a spell of heavy showers early in the evening. A map posted by the Met department on social media showed that Ruwais (16.8mm), Shehaimiya (14.6mm) and Ghuwairiya (13.7mm) in the north had received the highest rainfall between Monday and yesterday morning.