Thundershowers, hailstorm lash Kuwait amid cold wave

By Sajeev K Peter

Kuwait Times, December 27, 2022

Heavy rains accompanied by lightning, thunder and hail lashed Kuwait on Tuesday, disrupting movement of pedestrians and vehicles. The rains hit most parts of the country on Monday and Tuesday, as cloudy skies blanketed the country, while motorists endured bumper-to-bumper traffic on rain-soaked roads. Kuwait’s meteorological department had forecast heavy but scattered rains accompanied by thunder across the country with hail over some areas. Wind speed will exceed 55 km/h, resulting a drop in visibility over some areas, and rough seas, it warned.

The temperature in Kuwait has dropped significantly over the last few days, and according to official forecasts, the mercury can fall to subzero temperatures in remote areas. Kuwait has been affected by weeks of inclement weather, which prompted authorities to advise residents to take precautions in case of rain, and asked people to stay away from areas of flash flooding and waterlogged roads.

The interior ministry Tuesday urged motorists and sea-goers to be cautious amid the current turbulent weather across the country. In a press release, the ministry urged drivers to follow security authorities’ instructions for using alternative routes and avoiding swamped roads, calling on motorists to maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front. It reminded parents to seat children in the backseats.

Meanwhile, authorities in several Gulf countries also renewed weather warnings of heavy rains that could batter the usually arid region. Dubai Police warned motorists to exercise utmost caution when they drive on waterlogged roads. Gulf countries usually experience mild winters, with the exception of rare and brief episodes of flooding and rain between November and January. Such weather is highly disruptive in the region, where authorities often do not install heavy drainage systems due to the rarity of rainfall.

Kuwait hit by snowfall, hailstones along with rain showers

Arab Times, December 27, 2022    

Rains accompanied by hailstones fell in a number of areas in Kuwait which brought great joy from some Kuwaitis and expats, in various regions of Kuwait. Besides heavy rains in some parts, the southern part of the country saw showers of hailstones and snowfall especially in the camp areas that were most fortunate to enjoy wonderful winter weather.

Kuwait hit by snowfall, hailstones along with rain showers - ARAB TIMES - KUWAIT NEWS (arabtimesonline.com)

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Rare hailstorm hits Kuwait, one of the hottest countries on Earth

Al-Arabiya 28 December ,2022:

Kuwait, one of the hottest countries on Earth, has been hit by a rare hailstorm that delighted children and their parents, with images of the winter white shared widely on social media Wednesday.

“We have not seen so much hail during the winter season in 15 years,” Muhammad Karam, a former director of Kuwait’s meteorological department, told AFP.

Pictures and videos of southern roads partially blanketed in hail and ice spread online to celebrate the rare weather event.

Children donned scarves and raincoats as they scooped up hail in the Umm al-Haiman district, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Kuwait City.

Kuwait’s meteorological department said precipitation since Tuesday had reached up to 63 millimeters but that the weather was clearing up.

Karam said he expects the phenomenon to reoccur as climate change disrupts weather patterns.

The oil-rich Gulf nation endures blistering summer heat, and scientists predict it could become unlivable in future because of climate change.

In 2016, summer temperatures peaked at 54 degrees Celsius (129 degrees Fahrenheit).

Parts of Kuwait could get 4.5 degrees Celsius hotter from 2071 to 2100 compared with the historical average, the Environment Public Authority has warned.

Rare hailstorm hits Kuwait, one of the hottest countries on Earth | Al Arabiya English

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Kuwait is hit by freak hail storm: Blanket of winter white covers the desert country in heaviest storm in fifteen years

Adults and children alike marvelled at the weather in Kuwait after a hail storm Pictures showing the winter white were shared widely online on Wednesday Locals played with ice on the side of the road and danced in the downpour  There are concerns hail storms will reoccur in future due to climate change 

By Brittany Chain

Daily Mail, 28 December 2022

Adults and children alike have marvelled at the weather in Kuwait after a hail storm bore down on one of the hottest places on Earth.

Pictures showing the winter white were shared widely online on Wednesday, as locals played with ice chunks and danced in the downpour.

'We have not seen so much hail during the winter season in 15 years,' Muhammad Karam, a former director of Kuwait's meteorological department, said.

Southern roads were partially blanketed in hail and ice, while locals celebrated the rare weather event.

Children donned scarves and raincoats as they scooped up hail in the Umm al-Haiman district, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Kuwait City.

Adults and children alike have marvelled at the weather in Kuwait after a hail storm bore down on one of the hottest places on Earth

Locals play with ice chunks after Kuwait hit by hail storm Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% 0:00 Previous Play Skip Mute Current Time0:00 / Duration Time0:50 Fullscreen Need Text

Pictures showing the winter white were shared widely online on Wednesday, as locals played with ice chunks and danced in the downpour

Kuwait's meteorological department said precipitation since Tuesday had reached up to 63 millimetres but that the weather was clearing up.

Temperatures reached 18C today but forecasters warned of a 'rather cold' turn with moderate wind and fog.

The rain is expected to subside for at least the next few days but will return with scattered showers on Sunday to ring in the new year. 

On average, Kuwait records 1.2 days of rainfall each year in December, with precipitation peaking at two days per month in January, averaging at about 12 millimetres.

A weather watch warning remains in place across the city, with visibility highly impacted by the fog. 

For the most part, locals have been thrilled to experience hail, and children have taken the opportunity to have snow fights and play in the elements

Pictured: A girl holds hailstones in Ahmadi Governorate, Kuwait, after a hailstorm lashed parts of the nation

Children donned scarves and raincoats as they scooped up hail in the Umm al-Haiman district, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Kuwait City

There are some reports of road closures in and around Kuwait city in response to the hail storm.

For the most part, locals have been thrilled to experience hail, and children have taken the opportunity to have snow fights and play in the elements.

'I was there in Kuwait for 5 years, but I didn't experience anything like that, I still want to try something like that,' one person said after watching videos online.

'It's true, it's raining ice here in Kuwait,' another said.

Another said: 'It's a miracle of rain and snow in Kuwait... What a blessing.' 

One video shows local workers stopping on the side of the road in their uniform to feel the ice and marvel at the layer of ice which had blanketed their workplace.

The men ran through the ice and held it in their hands, as the rainfall turned part of the road nearby into a river with fast moving water. 

Southern roads were partially blanketed in hail and ice, while locals celebrated the rare weather event

Three young boys marvelled at the ice which was building on the side of the road

The phenomenon is expected to start to occur more often as climate change disrupts weather patterns globally

Mr. Karam said he expects the phenomenon to reoccur as climate change disrupts weather patterns.

The oil-rich Gulf nation endures blistering summer heat, and scientists predict it could become unlivable in the future because of climate change.

In 2016, summer temperatures peaked at 54 degrees Celsius (129 degrees Fahrenheit).

Parts of Kuwait could get 4.5 degrees Celsius hotter from 2071 to 2100 compared with the historical average, the Environment Public Authority has warned.

Kuwait is hit by freak hail storm: Children play in heaviest storm in 15 years | Daily Mail Online

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Tempted to joke about global warming amid a blizzard? Here's what experts say about that

by Elizabeth Weise

USA Today, December 14, 2022

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Winter storms are pummeling the United States, snow is piling up, temperatures are dropping, traffic is snarling and there's always the threat of thunderstorms and thundersnow.

Just like clockwork, the emails, tweets and Facebook posts start flowing. Maybe it's a joke, maybe it's a snarky critique, maybe it's a meme. The words change, but the format is familiar: If global warming is real, why is it so cold out?

Scientists likely don't think that joke is as funny as another familiar climate change quip: Never argue about climate change—it always turns into a heated debate.

But we asked experts to weigh in on the winter weather trope. Here's a few thoughts on what winter means in an era of global warming.

Cold winters don't mean there's no global warming

Atmospheric science professor Dan Chavas at Purdue University in Indiana says these arguments don't frustrate him because they're a chance to engage.

"I think most of the time when people say that, they are joking and do not seriously believe that the occurrence of winter disproves climate change," he said. "For me personally as a scientist, I see that type of comment as a potential opportunity to talk about climate, the seasons, and climate change if they seem interested."

He starts that conversation by agreeing that climate has always had seasons, but notes climate change is a gradual warming—on top of the seasons—that's making winters, springs, summers and falls all warmer over time.

Higher temperatures don't mean it's hotter everywhere all the time

Global temperatures have risen 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880. That doesn't mean it's hotter everywhere all at once but that the entire system is becoming more volatile.

"As you add energy to the system, both extremes grow. You can have Texas ice storms as well as 33 million people displaced in Pakistan due to heat and flooding," said Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct, a carbon-management firm and a former professor at Columbia University. "These sorts of changes were predicted in 1996, it's not news that this is happening."

That said, winters are indeed getting warmer.

Since 1896, average winter temperatures across the lower 48 states have increased by nearly 3 degrees, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Nationally, 57% of US Weather Service stations have shown a decline in snowfall since the 1930s.

Winter weather is now on average 14-and-a-half days shorter and summers are seven and a half days longer, according to Brian Brettschneider, a climate scientist with the University of Alaska at Fairbanks

"Global warming will not stop the seasons, but it is causing long-term trends in winter conditions that are robust and accelerating," said Jason Smerdon, a climate physicist at Columbia University.

The odds are shifting to hotter extremes

But climate change is never all one thing or another. Rather it is a shift in the odds of occurrences of extremes, said Gerald Meehl, a senior scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Over the U.S. during the past decade, it is twice as likely that a daily record high maximum temperature occurred at a given location compared to a daily record low minimum, he said.

"For every two daily record high maximums that are set, there is only one daily record low minimum. This is climate change happening before our eyes," he said. "If the climate wasn't warming, there would be an equal chance of a daily record high temperature being set compared to a daily record low minimum."

Over the rest of this century, the number of extreme heat events will rise, even though there are a few extreme cold events.

"I've said that the scientist sitting at my desk in the year 2100 will get a phone call on a cold day in January 2100 when a daily record low minimum temperature is set in Denver," he said.

That caller will want to know what happened to global warming because a record cold temperature has just been recorded.

"That scientist in my seat will answer that yes, it was cold on that one day," he said. "But think back to the previous summer when nearly every day set a daily record high maximum temperature.

Tempted to joke about global warming amid the freezing cold? Here's what experts say about that.

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 «البَرَدْ» حوّل جنوب الكويت إلى أجواء أوروبية

الأربعاء 2022/12/28 المصدر : الأنباء عدد التعليقات 3 عدد المشاهدات 7328 A+   A-   استمع أجواء أوروبية في المناطق الجنوبية أجواء شتوية شهدتها البلاد أمس (ريليش كومار) أحد الطرق في المناطق الجنوبية أحد المارة يحتمي من الأمطار على طريقته (أحمد علي) 7 عدد من الشوارع شهدت ازدحامات مرورية وقت الأمطار عدد من الشوارع شهدت ازدحامات مرورية وقت الأمطار (محمد هاشم)

«الأرصاد»: فرصة الأمطار تقل اليوم مع دخول مرتفع جوي مصحوب بكتلة هوائية جافة وباردة مصحوبة برياح شمالية غربية تنشط على فترات بين 20 و50 كيلومتراً في الساعة

شهدت البلاد يوم أمس موجة من الأمطار المتفرقة، امتدت من بعد الظهر واستمرت حتى مثول الجريدة للطباعة. وبينما كانت هذه الأمطار خفيفة في بعض المناطق إلا أنها كانت غزيرة في كثير من أنحاء البلاد، خاصة في المنطقة الجنوبية التي شهدت تساقط الثلوج، ما أضفى أجواء أوروبية على هذه المناطق بداية من الفحيحيل امتدادا نحو الجنوب منها.

وقد أعلنت «الأرصاد الجوية» أن الأمطار ستستمر حتى فجر اليوم الأربعاء، وقال مراقب التنبؤات الجوية بإدارة الأرصاد الجوية عبدالعزيز القراوي إن هذه الأمطار تأتي نتيجة امتداد منخفض جوي سطحي مصحوبا بكتلة هوائية دافئة ورطبة يتزامن مع وجود منخفض جوي في طبقات الجو العليا، موضحا أن ذلك يؤدي إلى تكاثر السحب المنخفضة والمتوسطة تتخللها سحب ركامية مع هطول أمطار متفرقة خفيفة إلى متوسطة الشدة تكون غزيرة خاصة على المناطق الجنوبية ونشاطا في الرياح تصل سرعتها إلى أكثر من 50 كيلومترا في الساعة مع انخفاض في الرؤية الأفقية على بعض المناطق.

 تراجع فرص الأمطار اليوم

وذكر القراوي أن فرصة الأمطار تقل من فجر اليوم مع دخول مرتفع جوي مصحوب بكتلة هوائية جافة وباردة مع رياح شمالية غربية تنشط على فترات ما بين 20 و50 كيلومترا في الساعة. وقال انه من المتوقع أن تكون درجات الحرارة العظمى ما بين 16و18 درجة مئوية ودرجات الحرارة الصغرى ما بين 5 و8 درجات مئوية.وتسببت موجة الأمطار في إغلاق عدد من الطرق، حيث أعلنت وزارة الداخلية عصر أمس عن الطرق المغلقة بسبب تجمعات للمياه.

وقالت الإدارة العامة للعلاقات والإعلام الأمني بالوزارة في بيان لها إن الطرق التي تم إغلاقها هي طريق الفحيحيل باتجاه منطقة أم الهيمان، وطريق الفحيحيل الساحلي باتجاه مجمع الكوت وميناء الشعيبة (المخازن). فرق الطوارئ وفي هذه الأثناء، كثفت وزارة الأشغال جهودها للتعامل مع أي تجمع لمياه الأمطار في مختلف المناطق وذلك بالتعاون والتنسيق مع كل من الدفاع المدني وقوة الإطفاء العام وجميع الجهات ذات الصلة. وتواجدت وزيرة الأشغال العامة د.أماني بوقماز ووكيلة الوزارة م.مي المسعد في غرفة العمليات التابعة للوزارة، وذلك لمتابعة الحالة المطرية التي تمر بها البلاد.

بدوره قال الوكيل المساعد لقطاع التخطيط والتنمية بالتكليف والمتحدث الرسمي للوزارة م.أحمد الصالح في تصريح صحافي إن شبكة صرف مياه الأمطار تستوعب تدفقات مياه الأمطار بكميات ضمن المعدلات التصميمية للشبكة، مضيفا أنه في حال هطول كميات زائدة عن القدرة الاستيعابية للشبكة فإن فرق الطوارئ ستكون متواجدة للتعامل مع تلك الحالات، كل على حدة. وأشار إلى أنه في حال وجود تجمع لمياه الأمطار، فإنه يمكن للمواطنين والمقيمين الاتصال على الخط الساخن الخاص بالوزارة (150) أو عبر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي أو الواتساب الخاص بها على مدار الساعة.

تعليمات أمنية

وحرصا على سلامة المواطنين والمقيمين، وجهت وزارة الداخلية بعد ظهر أمس دعوة إلى الجميع تضمنت ضرورة الالتزام والحذر بسبب تقلب الأحوال الجوية بسبب الأمطار الرعدية على بعض مناطق البلاد. وطالبت الإدارة العامة للعلاقات والإعلام الأمني بالوزارة في بيان صحافي بعدم التردد بالاتصال عند الضرورة على هاتف الطوارئ (112) الذي يعمل على مدار الساعة لتقديم المساعدة الأمنية والمرورية. وناشدت مرتادي البحر الاتصال بعمليات الإدارة العامة لخفر السواحل على الهاتف رقم (1880888) عند مواجهتهم لأي حالة طارئة، مؤكدة ضرورة اتباع تعليمات وإرشادات رجال الأمن بالطريق في حال وجود تحويلات أو طرق بديلة وترك مسافة أمان لتجنب الاصطدام عند الوقوف المفاجئ أثناء هطول الأمطار على البلاد.

وشددت على أهمية ربط حزام الأمان وعدم السرعة أو استخدام الهاتف أثناء القيادة والحرص على جلوس الأطفال في المقاعد الخلفية وتجنب القيادة في الطرق التي بها تجمع مياه، كما دعت الجميع لمتابعة وسائل الإعلام الرسمية والأخبار الصادرة من إدارة الأرصاد الجوية.

بالفيديو البرد حول جنوب الكويت إلى أجواء (alanba.com.kw)

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