Qatar Living (QL) recently visited the Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD), which comes under the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), to learn all about the way the department works in bringing the latest weather updates to the people of Qatar.

The QL team had the opportunity to chat with Saqr Al Suwaidi, a weather forecaster at QMD, who shed light on the process of gathering data for weather forecasting.

While there are several tools QMD works with, the main ones include satellite images, radar, and numerical procedures, Al Suwaidi said. In addition to this, the department also has inshore and offshore weather stations which aid in weather forecasting. 

Satellite images are used to track the movement of clouds while the radars are used to pinpoint the location of thunderstorms and rains. This also allows the department to find out the intensity of the rain, Al Suwaidi explained. 

The numerical procedure, on the other hand, helps in forecasting weather for a number of days, he said.

Regarding the accuracy of the forecasts, Al Suwaidi said the predictions for up to 3 to 4 days are the most accurate while the fifth day onwards the accuracy starts to decrease.

Al Suwaidi highlighted that there are several ways the public can stay informed on weather updates. These include the QMD website, its social media pages, through the Q Weather app, an SMS service, or through a 24/7 hotline. 

The new meteorology mobile application - Q Weather brings the latest weather updates in Qatar and the world at the users' fingertips. For the users’ convenience, the information is available in Arabic and English.

The highly dynamic app features all the information users may need regarding weather conditions, from hourly forecasts, daily reports in different areas of the country, to temperature and humidity rate. The app also provides details on wind speed and wave height on the coast and at sea.

A complete 15-day forecast can be viewed on top of the monthly reports that include the most important climate information for each month of the year.

The introduction of Q Weather is an affirmation of the CAA’s continuous approach to the development and use of modern technology to provide services in the best and fastest ways.

CAA gives great attention to Meteorology, based on the importance of the essential role it plays in various economic activities and areas of daily life.

It provides important services to the authorities responsible for air traffic and air navigation, ports and maritime navigation, and all other government agencies and private sectors in the country whose activity is influenced by weather factors.

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