After several days of uncertainty, it finally rained in Qatar yesterday. And if indications are true, there are chances of cloudy skies and thunderstorms in the coming days as well.

The Qatar Met Department said that thundershowers are expected in some offshore areas, in addition to strong winds and high seas, reported Gulf Times.

Residents had woken up to a cloudy morning yesterday and most parts of the country felt chill in the air that signalled the onset of winter, reported The Peninsula. The weekend is likely to see a noticeable drop in temperatures as the minimum is expected to fall below 15 degrees Celsius in southern areas.

Ras Laffan, Al Shahniya and northern areas of Qatar received more rain compared to Doha and its neighbouring areas since early Thursday.

“It rained in the country as per forecast, marking the beginning of winter. Scattered rainfall accompanied by thundershowers are likely to continue until the end of the week. We’re coordinating with the Ministry of Interior and Civil Defense to handle the situation,” Abdulla Al Mannai, Qatar Met Department Director told Qatar Tribune.

Meanwhile, the rain has come as a welcome relief for farmers.

An employee of a vegetable farm at Al Khor said, “The rain will make the the farms lush green and reflect in production,” he told Qatar Tribune.

Friday’s minimum temperature is likely to be 19C in Abu Samra and 22C in Doha. The maximum, on the other hand, will be 28C in Al Khor and 27C in Doha.