
Northwesterly winds bring dust, heat and wave activity across Oman
Muscat: Northwesterly wind activity began on Tuesday and is expected to continue for several days, affecting most governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.
Meanwhile, the temperature saw a hike, with Suhar recording 47.1 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
The impact of the northwesterly could result in dust and dirt rising over desert and open areas, which may lead to a reduction in horizontal visibility.
Meanwhile, sea waves have seen an increase in height along all coasts of the Sultanate of Oman, reaching a maximum height of 3.0 metres.
The Oman Met Office stated that high sea waves will be experienced on most of the coasts of the Sultanate of Oman starting from Tuesday, May 6, 2025, and are expected to continue for several days. The sea will be moderate to rough on the coasts of western Musandam Governorate and the coasts of the Arabian Sea, reaching a maximum height of 2-3 meters, and there will be calm to moderate waves on the coasts of the Sea of Oman, 1.25-2 metres.
Clear skies are expected over most of the governorates with high and medium cloud advection, which could bring in isolated rain over the Dhofar governorate. There are also chances for cloud convection over Al Hajar Mountains toward the afternoon.
Dhofar also has chances of low clouds and fog formation during the late night and early morning over the governorate's coastal areas.
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A Muslim pilgrim prays at Jabal Al Rahmah, also known as Mount Arafat, during the annual Haj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Mecca on Thursday. — Reuters Others arrived en masse in the sprawling tent city of Mina on Mecca's outskirts, where they will stay overnight before the Haj 's high-point Thursday — prayers on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon. "You feel like you're not in this world," Khitam, a 63-year-old pilgrim, said by phone, saying that "before Haj, I used to watch the Grand Mosque on TV all day." Before entering Mecca, pilgrims must first enter a state of purity, called ihram, which requires special dress and behaviour. Men don a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers, regardless of their social status or nationality. Women, in turn, wear loose dresses exposing just their faces and hands. 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