Weather: Kuwait and Qatar
You’d think, these two countries being in the same time zone and just up the road from one another, you’d think that the temperatures would be almost identical.
You’d think wrong.
Kuwait gets both hotter – and colder – that Qatar. When Kuwait gets blazing hot in the summer, the temperatures may be as much as 10° cooler in Qatar. You’d think that would be a sizeable difference, but you’d think wrong. Kuwait’s climate is so dry, the humidity so rare, that it FEELS hotter in Doha.
In Doha, it feels like the sea evaporates and leaves a coat of salt on your face. I always had to carry wipes and face cream with me in the summer. Even in the earliest hours of the day, the humidity drips off you. You change clothes frequently, to stay fresh. And yes, all this takes air-conditioning into account. If you have never lived in the Gulf, you cannot begin to imagine 1) how hot it gets and 2) what the heat and humidity together can be like.
The temperatures swing past one another in April/May, October/November. The swing has occurred a little later this year, but it definitely has occurred:
Kuwait Forecast
Qatar forecast
May Rainstorm
We had a great day yesterday – we organized and worked all morning, then quit, dressed up and went out for lunch with people we really enjoy. We didn’t rush – we had one of those long, lingering lunches where the conversation flits from here to there and even after several hours, you know you still have plenty of topics left to discuss – and that there will be a next time.
On our way home, a few huge drops hit the windshield and AdventureMan said “oh look, a torrent!” because in Kuwait, unlike Seattle, unlike Germany, rain is precious, and even a little is treasured.
He spoke too soon, however. The rain stopped. Then, another few minutes later, the real rainstorm, short and sweet, happened, just enough to wash all the dust spots from the two day’s previous dust storm, off. (Meaning one day of dust storm, and one day of lingering dust haze.) A few bolts of lightening, a few rumbles of thunder, but nothing earth-shaking.
The smell of the rain falling in a dry and dusty country is unbelievably sweet. You smell dust, but you also smell freshness. The heat – it was 36°C/ about 90°F – seems to ramp up the clean smell.
It was short, intense, and sweet. All too soon, it ended.
Light Haze Sunrise
At six in the morning, it is already almost 90°F / 32°C. WeatherUnderground says there is a “light haze.” I can’t imagine what they call a heavy haze. At least the light haze is white, not the orange of yesterday’s sandstorm, but there is still an awful lot of the “light haze.”
Hamd’allah, I have air conditioning. I feel human again. The Alaska girl in me has it turned up to 72°F / 22°C, and I am comfortable.
It took me a long time to capture a glimpse of the sun, early this morning, through the “light haze.” Even as I write, the sun is a great big hazy ball, high in the May sky, oh-so-early on a Friday morning.
I happened to be up early this morning, and was shocked to see busses arriving and laborers – Moslem laborers, like from Pakistan and Afghanistan, getting off buses, carrying shovels and picks and tools to go to work. I thought all Moslems in Kuwait got to take Friday off. Guess I was wrong – and I so often am.
Have a sweet, quiet day, Kuwait. We will be praying for you, in our little church, and for your leadership and your upcoming election, this Friday morning. We wish you only the very best.
Real Time Sandstorm
I’m in my living room, currently the only air conditioned room in the house, the other area A/C is broken, and even in the living room, things are hotting up. Packing boxes, suddenly the light dims and I look outside.
Oh thank God! You might think that is a strange reaction, but when I am packing, any distraction will do. And the light is fantastic! Who knows when I will see another sandstorm rolling in like this? I shoot lots of shots, then scoot off the balcony because it is heading right for me.
I won’t show you what it looks like now. You know what orange looks like. It is totally a bright ochre orange outside. The shoreline is visible, but dimly. The street lights have come on and the smarter drivers have their headlights on. Just in time for drive-time home – be careful out there, Kuwait!
Sunrise Tuesday, May 13, 2009
Every sunrise now is poignant – I will not have this kind of view in Doha. I will have palm trees, and sometimes parrots and / or parakeets who migrate through and love the date palms. I will have a yard, and two colored bougainvillea, and pots of home grown basil. I will have a neighborhood where I can walk freely, all by myself and never worry about being harassed, and a pool where women gather and joke around while doing water aerobics. But oh, I will miss these glorious Gulf sunrises!
Amazing Day
Yesterday turned out to be one of those days that surprise you. I didn’t have a lot of hope for the day, I started off feeling negative and thinking about cancelling appointments. My head has been a little stuffy, I have a mild cough, altogether, I am not in peak form.
I decided to keep my appointments, which required preparation, and the prep turned out better than I had expected. In fact, the entire day was full of unexpected blessings.
First – I know not all of Kuwait experienced it, but the storm! Lightning! Rain! Rain in late late April! Whoda thunk?
Then, the light – drama drama drama – dark dark clouds, but sunlight on the white-capped water, bringing out all the shades from turquoise through jade and lapiz into deep purple – oh, what joy! Last but not least, the wonderful breeze that kept everything from being hot and sticky – what a day! What I might have missed!
Water 1, Road 0
EnviroGirl sent me this, it’s a powerful testament to what water can do. People in Kuwait still talk about the sudden rainstorm that killed several people here, especially those trapped in an underpass which flooded quickly.
This took place in Maine:
Shimmering Sunrise
It’s not yet eight in the morning, and the temperature is almost 90°F / 32°C . . . this is the beginning of hot hot hot:
There was a group of fishermen in the water this morning, just before sunrise, using old fashioned nets; the water must be very warm now. The sun had to battle a thick layer of low lying clouds, and won the battle.
I don’t know if it shows up in this photo at all, but to the left, there is a bright spot with just a tiny slice of rainbow peeking through. 🙂 A good omen! Have a great day, Kuwait.
Forecast: Hot and Crabby
It isn’t my fault. I was born in the cold winter months in Alaska, and to this day, I thrive in cooler weather. When October comes to Kuwait and I can feel an occasional cool breeze on my face, I am in heaven for the next six months. When the rains come, I dance for joy.
So, alternatively, when I open the door to take a photo of the sunrise from my balcony, and it is as warm outside as it is inside, my heart sinks.
The sunrise this morning was awesome – lights and darks and sparkles all over the place:
What is not to love?
I’m trying not to be grumpy. I’m trying to think cool thoughts, and to be cool-headed. Keep me in your prayers, please, for sweetness of spirit, and for peace of spirit, and for super organizational skills.
Sunrise 26 April 2009
Last night, out for dinner, the air was not cool and refreshing. It was warm. The outdoor seating was thronged; for many, the temperatures are wonderful; for me, it is a little stale. Just the night before, we were outside and it was wonderful, still a tiny cool breeze now and then. Overnight, you can feel the inevitable approach of the scorching summer. It’s coming. It’s almost here.
Sunrise this morning was silvery. There are some fleecy little clouds up in the sky, but no, it doesn’t look like rain, only a little tease.
At 0700, it is already hot.
The pace is picking up, lists of things to do growing instead of shrinking . . . the pressure is on.
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