Dubai - MENA Herald: Today marks World Meteorological Day, which is celebrated on 23 March by institutions and companies working in the fields of meteorology and weather forecasting. This occasion aims to highlight the importance of meteorology in all aspects of life, as well as its effects on various sectors.
World Meteorological Day is celebrated annually on 23 March to commemorate the day that the convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) went into effect, which occurred on 23 March, 1950. The WMO's theme for this year's celebration is ‘Hotter, Drier, Wetter, Face the Future’.
On this occasion, ArabiaWeather, a company specialized in meteorology in the Arab World, reviewed the most significant weather conditions that have affected the region from the beginning of last year up until today. Some of these conditions were extreme, resulting in physical injuries, property damage and even losses of life.
January 2015
Wide areas of the Levant and northern Saudi Arabia was affected by a five-day snow storm that crippled public life. The snow storm caused road closures in several parts of the region and a significant drop in temperatures, reaching a record-breaking -8°C.
April 2015
Vast areas of the Arabian Gulf region were hit by a strong sand storm, affecting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. The storm, considered the strongest in years, disrupted aircraft movements at several airports.
September 2015
The region experienced incidents of extremely unstable weather, including a severe thunder storm that caused the collapse of a crane in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Also, the Levant witnessed a strong dust storm that lasted for four days.
November 2015
The month was marked by flooding in numerous Arab cities, starting with Egypt's Alexandria, moving to Amman, Jordan, and then to several parts of Iraq and Kuwait, before finally reaching Jeddah, where the heavy downpour caused severe floods.
March 2016
The most recent extreme weather conditions to affect the Arab World occurred in the UAE, particularly in Abu Dhabi. Around two weeks ago, the city witnessed a strong thunder storm, resulting in heavy rain and wind exceeding the speed of 130 kilometer/hour.
On the occasion of World Meteorological Day, Osama Tarifi, ArabiaWeather’s Head of Weather Operations, noted that ArabiaWeather was established in 2006 with the purpose of increasing weather awareness among the public, government agencies and across all sectors, a crucial step towards enhancing national growth and minimizing weather-related property damage and losses of life. This is made possible through ArabiaWeather’s accurate weather forecasting, as well as its broadcasting of necessary warnings and alerts via its various communication channels.
ArabiaWeather holds annual celebrations of World Meteorological Day at its two branches, located in Amman and Dubai, in the attendance of representatives of several media outlets and companies working in the field.
