Though rains are expected to be less severe this year and the flash floods witnessed last year may not recur, the country could be in for a very severe winter with temperatures dropping to one degree Celsius in the months ahead, warned a meteorologist in Kuwait.
“Predicting weather has become difficult in recent years due to climate change that has affected the global climate,” said meteorologist Mohammad Karam, a former director of the Meteorological Department.
Pointing to recently published studies that show a decline in solar activity, Mr. Karam predicted that this could lead to a fall in temperatures to as low as one degree Celsius on some days during the upcoming winter.
The weather-man also emphasized the need to form a specialized committee to meet any weather-related emergencies, similar to the one set up last year at the time of the floods that devastated parts of the country.
“I believe it is necessary to prepare for weather-related emergencies in order to reduce the chance of loss of life or material damage.This can be done by reactivating the emergency room, as was done during the previous rains and the continuation with the warning bulletins,” said Mr. Karam.
Moving on to the need to harvest rainwater, Mr. Karam said that we could follow the example of the UAE, which has constructed huge underground reservoirs to store rainwater and uses it for irrigation and agriculture. “We could try something along those lines, as rainfall in Kuwait averages around 150 millimeter per year.