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Qatar is expected to see a noticeable drop in temperatures towards the weekend, along with strong northwesterly winds and the possibility of scattered rain and thunderstorms, according to the Qatar Meteorology Department. The department’s latest five-day forecast, issued on November 10, warned of strong winds across the country yesterday and today, with offshore areas expected to experience rough seas and possible thundery rain.  Daytime temperatures are forecast to range between 23C and 31C during the five days, while northwesterly winds are expected to persist through Saturday, November 14.   The latest forecast comes after a week of relatively warm conditions, with temperatures reaching the mid-30s Celsius during the first part of November. Weather reports between November 4 and 10 indicated changing cloud cover, occasional chances of rainfall, and thunderstorm warnings in some areas.  Temperatures ranged between 26C and 31C yesterday (November 10), with partly cloudy skies and a chance of scattered rain. Northerly to northwesterly winds will blow at 10 to 20 knots, occasionally reaching 30 knots.  Conditions today (November 11) are expected to bring the most unsettled weather during the forecast period. The department warned of possible thundery rain, strong winds, and poor horizontal visibility in some areas.  Temperatures are forecast to range between 25C and 29C, with partly cloudy to cloudy skies and a chance of scattered rain that could become thundery at times. Wave heights could rise to 12 feet, while visibility may drop to three kilometres or less during thundery rain.  Conditions are expected to gradually improve from tomorrow, although scattered rain remains possible. Temperatures will range between 24C and 29C, with northwesterly winds reaching six to 16 knots inshore and gusting to 26 knots at times.  The weather is forecast to become more stable towards the weekend, with partly cloudy conditions and no inshore weather warnings indicated for Friday and Saturday.On November 13, temperatures are expected to range between 24C and 28C, while Saturday’s readings could fall further to between 23C and 28C.  Northwesterly winds will continue at seven to 17 knots inshore, occasionally gusting to 27 knots. However, offshore areas will remain exposed to stronger winds of 15 to 25 knots, with gusts reaching 35 knots on Friday and 33 knots on Saturday.  The department also warned of strong winds and high seas in offshore areas throughout tomorrow and the weekend, with wave heights potentially reaching 11 feet.Visibility is generally expected to remain between five and 10 kilometres across inshore areas during the latter part of the forecast period.  Residents, particularly motorists and those planning marine activities, have been advised to exercise caution during periods of strong winds and thunderstorms and to follow the department’s latest weather updates.  The gradual decline in temperatures is consistent with Qatar’s seasonal transition towards cooler weather in November, when northwesterly winds become more prominent and the possibility of rainfall increases. 

A cyclone packing violent winds has killed at least 31 people in Madagascar's second-largest city, ripping roofs off buildings, causing flooding and felling trees, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday, releasing an updated toll.Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second city Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres per hour.The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNRGC) late Wednesday said it had recorded 31 deaths, many after houses had collapsed.Four people remained missing and at least 36 were seriously injured, it said, with over 250,000 people affected."What happened is a disaster: nearly 75% of the city of Toamasina was destroyed," said Madagascar's new leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who had travelled to Toamasina ahead of the cyclone's landfall to support residents."The current situation exceeds Madagascar's capabilities alone," said Randrianirina, who seized power in October, calling on "international partners and donors" to support the impoverished island.Drone footage shared by the BNRGC on social media showed major flooding in the east coast city of 400,000 people, about 220km northeast of the capital Antananarivo, with residents wading through water and roofs ripped off buildings.The city appeared battered, its streets littered with trees uprooted by the force of the cyclone.The storm also caused carnage in the Atsinanana region surrounding the city, the authority said, adding that post-disaster assessments were still under way."It's total chaos: 90% of house roofs have been blown off, entirely or in part," said the head of disaster management at the Action Against Hunger humanitarian group, Rija Randrianarisoa."The roads are completely inaccessible because of trees on the ground, sheet metal," he told AFP.The CMRS cyclone forecaster on France's Reunion island confirmed Tuesday that Toamasina had been "directly hit by the most intense part" of the storm.The cyclone's landfall was likely one of the most intense recorded in the region during the satellite era, rivalling Geralda in February 1994, it said. That storm left at least 200 dead and affected half a million more.A Toamasina resident told AFP by telephone late Tuesday that the winds had collapsed solid walls. "It's monstrous," the resident added.Commercial flights to Toamasina airport were suspended except for humanitarian and military flights, airport management said.Fifteen members of the army's civil protection unit were dispatched to assist with rescue operations, authorities announced.The cyclone weakened after landfall but continued to sweep across the island, posing the risk of flooding despite being downgraded to a tropical storm.It is forecast to return to cyclone status as it reaches the Mozambique Channel, according to the CMRS, and could from Friday evening strike southern Mozambique, which has already faced devastating flooding since the beginning of the year.Besides Geralda in 1994, Cyclone Gretelle, which killed 152 people and displaced 60,000 in 1997, and Gafilo, which left 241 dead and affected more than 300,000 others, have also been particularly deadly.More than 70% of houses in Madagascar are built from precarious materials such as clay, branches or foliage, according to the national statistical institute.Cyclone season in the southwest Indian Ocean typically lasts from November to April and sees around a dozen storms each year. 

Hurricane Melissa picked up strength as it bore down on Cuba, where it is expected to make landfall Wednesday after carving a path of destruction through Jamaica as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record there, lashing the island nation with brutal winds and torrential rain. The monster storm was still 110 miles (175 kilometers) away from Guantanamo late Tuesday but was “re-strengthening” to a Category 4 hurricane “as it approaches eastern Cuba,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory. The storm took hours to pass over Jamaica — a crossing that weakened its winds, dropping them to Category 3 strength from the maximum level 5 — before intensifying again. “Melissa is expected to remain a powerful hurricane as it moves across Cuba, the Bahamas, and near Bermuda,” the NHC said, adding that the storm is forecast to make landfall in Cuba “as an extremely dangerous major hurricane in the next few hours.” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a “disaster area,” and authorities urged residents to remain sheltered amid continued risks of flooding and landslides, as dangerous weather persisted even after the hurricane’s core moved on. Lisa Sangster, a 30-year-old communications specialist in Kingston, said her home was devastated by the storm. “My sister explained that parts of our roof were blown off and other parts caved in, and the entire house was flooded,” she told AFP. “Outside structures like our outdoor kitchen, dog kennel, and animal pens were also gone — destroyed.” The full scale of Melissa’s damage in Jamaica was not yet clear; a comprehensive assessment could take days. Much of the island remained without power, and communications networks were badly disrupted. At its peak, the storm packed ferocious sustained winds of 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour). Immediate details regarding casualties were not available. Government minister Desmond McKenzie said several hospitals had been damaged, including those in Saint Elizabeth, a coastal district he said was “underwater.” “The damage to Saint Elizabeth is extensive, based on what we have seen,” he told a briefing. “Saint Elizabeth is the breadbasket of the country, and it has taken a beating. The entire Jamaica has felt the brunt of Melissa.” The hurricane was the strongest ever to strike Jamaica, hitting land with maximum wind speeds surpassing even some of recent history’s most destructive storms, including 2005’s Katrina, which devastated New Orleans. **media[374802]** Severely Damaged Infrastructure Even before Melissa slammed into Jamaica, seven deaths — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic — had been attributed to the worsening conditions. Jamaica’s climate change minister told CNN that Melissa’s impact was “catastrophic,” citing flooded homes and “severely damaged public infrastructure” and hospitals. Mathue Tapper, 31, told AFP from Kingston that those in the capital were “lucky” but feared for fellow Jamaicans in the island’s rural areas. “My heart goes out to the folks living on the western end of the island,” he said. Climate Change Impact **media[374801]** Broad scientific consensus holds that human-driven climate change is responsible for the intensification of storms like Melissa, which are becoming increasingly frequent and bring greater potential for destruction and deadly flooding. Melissa lingered over Jamaica long enough that the rainfall was particularly devastating. “Human-caused climate change is making all of the worst aspects of Hurricane Melissa even worse,” said climate scientist Daniel Gilford. The Jamaican Red Cross, which was distributing drinking water and hygiene kits ahead of infrastructure disruptions, said Melissa’s “slow nature” exacerbated anxiety among residents. The UN is planning an airlift of some 2,000 relief kits to Jamaica from a relief supply station in Barbados once air travel resumes. Assistance is also planned for other affected countries, including Cuba and Haiti, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told journalists. Jamaican officials said around 25,000 tourists were in the country, famed for its normally crystalline waters.

Weather inshore until 6:00 pm on Tuesday will be relatively hot daytime and mild by night, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather report. Offshore, the weather will be fine, the report said, warning of strong winds and high sea at North at first. Wind inshore will be northwesterly to northeasterly at a speed of 05 - 15 knots at first, gusting to 23 knot at places daytime. Offshore, it will be northwesterly to northerly at 05 -15 knots, gusting 22 knot at north at first. Sea state inshore will be 1 to 2 feet, rising to 4 feet at north at first, while offshore will be 2 to 4 feet, rising to 7 feet at north at first. Visibility inshore will be 4 to 10 km, while offshore will be 5 to 10 km.

Chinese authorities have evacuated about 150,000 people from southern Guangdong Province as Typhoon Matmo intensifies before making landfall. China's National Meteorological Center reported that the typhoon had maximum wind speeds of 151 km per hour (94 mph) on Sunday, and that it is expected to make landfall around midday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that could lead to local flooding and property damage. The meteorological center issued a red typhoon warning, the highest level in its system. Hainan Province, also in the storm's path, has canceled flights and suspended public transportation and businesses starting yesterday in preparation for the storm. Authorities also warned of heavy rainfall, with rainfall expected to reach between 100 and 249 mm in some areas. China experiences a number of tropical cyclones annually during the monsoon season, especially in the southern and coastal regions overlooking the South China Sea.

The Department of Meteorology forecast that inshore weather until 6:00 pm on Wednesday will be relatively hot to hot daytime with slight dust in places and mild by night. The report warned of expected strong winds during daytime. Offshore, conditions will be fine, with warnings of strong winds and high seas. Inshore winds will be northwesterly at 10 to 20 KT, gusting to 28 KT during the day. Offshore, winds will be northwesterly at 8 to 18 KT, gusting to 23 KT at times. Sea state inshore will range between 2 and 4 ft, rising to 5 ft at times, while offshore will be 3 to 5 ft, rising to 7 ft at times. Visibility inshore will range from 4 to 9 km, while offshore will be between 5–10 km.

The Department of Meteorology forecast that inshore weather until 6:00 pm on Tuesday will be relatively hot to hot daytime, with slight dust in places, and mild by night. The report warned of expected strong winds daytime. Offshore, conditions will be slightly dusty at times, with warnings of strong winds and high seas. Inshore winds will be northwesterly at 10 to 20 KT, gusting to 29 KT during the day, before decreasing to 5 to 15 KT by night. Offshore, winds will be northwesterly at 5 to 20 KT, gusting to 29 KT. Visibility inshore and offshore will range from 4 to 9 km. Sea state inshore will range between 4 and 5 feet, while offshore it will be between 4 and 6 feet, rising to 9 feet at times.

Inshore weather until 6:00 pm on Wednesday will be relatively hot to hot during the day with slight to blowing dust, becoming mild by night, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily report. The report warned of strong winds expected in some areas during the daytime.Offshore, conditions will be fine, though the report also warned of strong winds and high seas.Inshore winds will be northwesterly at 12–22 KT, gusting to 33 KT in some areas during the day, while offshore winds will be northwesterly at 15–25 KT, gusting to 35 KT at times.Sea state inshore will be 2–4 feet, rising to 5 feet at times. Offshore, it will be 4–8 feet, rising to 11 feet at times.Visibility inshore will be 4–9 km / 3 km or less in some areas during the day. Offshore, it will be 5–9 km.