Qatar Weather: Thunderstorms and strong winds expected along coast

Qatar's weather service has issued an alert for possible thunderstorms and strong winds along the coast on Saturday. Coastal regions may experience hot to extremely hot temperatures during the day, with lingering dust in the air initially. As clouds develop, there is a chance of rain and thunderstorms in some coastal areas around noon. Offshore, skies will be partly cloudy at times.

Along the coast, winds will initially be variable before shifting to a north-westerly to north-easterly direction, reaching speeds of 5 to 15 knots. Gusts could reach up to 25 knots during thunderstorms. At sea, north-westerly winds will range from 10 to 18 knots, with gusts up to 27 knots during the afternoon. Wave heights along the coast are expected to range from 2 to 4 feet, rising to 5 feet in the afternoon. Offshore, waves are forecast to reach 3 to 5 feet, increasing to as much as 8 feet.

Visibility along the coast may range from 4 to 9 kilometers, but could drop to 3 kilometers or less in areas impacted by thunderstorms. Visibility offshore is expected to remain between 5 and 9 kilometers. In Doha, the maximum temperature is forecast to reach 37C. The meteorological department has also provided tide times for various locations across the country.