Middle East Weather

The locust plague is already the worst in Kenya in 70 years, and in at least 25 years for other parts of the region. The swarms can move up to 90 miles a day, and can eat their weight daily. The current swarm eats as much as 35,000 humans a day would consume. The locust swarm strips all vegetation in their path, threatening the food supply for millions of people.

Experts say that the swarm is projected to go as far east as Pakistan in the coming months. It will begin descending upon the Middle East in the next month, coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Passover, which celebrates, among other things, the Biblical 10 plagues in Egypt, one of which was locusts.

Middle East Weather

Download 🔥 https://urllie.com/2y7ZX4 🔥

Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are forecast across parts of the Middle East through at least Nov. 17. The affected area includes parts of northwestern, southern, and western Iran, eastern Iraq, and Kuwait. Strong wind gusts, lightning, and possible hail may accompany storms. Heavy downpours may trigger flooding in low-lying areas and strong winds may cause property damage and power outages.

The Iraqi Meteorological Organization has forecast heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across parts of the country through at least Nov. 16 and has warned of possible flooding in eastern regions. A significant drop in temperatures and moderate-to-strong winds are also forecast in many areas.

The Kuwait Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning (the highest level on a two-tier scale) for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across Kuwait Nov. 15. Showers and storms are expected to be accompanied by reduced visibility, strong winds, and rough seas. The adverse weather conditions are forecast to persist through at least early Nov. 17.

The severe weather will likely contribute to transport disruptions throughout the regions. Floodwaters and debris flows may render some bridges, rail networks, or roadways impassable, impacting overland travel in and around affected areas. Additionally, ponding on road surfaces could cause hazardous driving conditions on regional highways. Authorities could temporarily close some low-lying routes that become inundated by floodwaters. Traffic and commercial trucking delays might occur along regional highways. Flooding downpours could flood some low-lying roads in areas with poor drainage. Strong winds might also pose a hazard to high-profile vehicles.

Monitor local media for updated emergency and weather information. Seek updated information on weather and road conditions before driving or routing shipments through areas where severe weather is forecast. Stay away from elevated streams, creeks, and other watercourses that are prone to flash flooding. Do not attempt to navigate flooded roadways. Keep important documents and necessary medications in waterproof containers. Observe strict food and water precautions. Take precautions against insect and waterborne diseases in the coming days. Review contingency plans and be prepared to move quickly to shelters if evacuation orders are issued. Charge battery-powered devices in the case of prolonged electricity outages.

Results suggest that primary MERS human cases in Saudi Arabia are more likely to occur when conditions are relatively cold and dry. This is similar to seasonal patterns that have been described for other respiratory diseases in temperate climates. It was hypothesized that low visibility would be positively associated with primary cases of MERS, however the opposite relationship was seen. This may reflect behavioural changes in different weather conditions. This analysis provides key initial evidence of an environmental component contributing to the development of primary MERS-CoV infections.

The effects of weather and environmental conditions on respiratory diseases with similar modes of transmission (direct contact or droplet), such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, have been documented. Temperature and humidity are associated with transmissibility of influenza virus [11], and the seasonality of both influenza and respiratory syncytial virus is linked to these two factors [12]. Air quality is also associated with respiratory infections. Air pollution has been linked to pneumonia and acute lower respiratory infections [13, 14], while dust storms are associated with infectious respiratory disease by acting both as a carrier of pathogens and increasing airway susceptibility to infection [15]. The risk of acquiring primary MERS may be influenced by changes in weather conditions in two ways. First, weather conditions may affect the viability and persistence of the virus in the environment and therefore its transmissibility [11, 16]. Secondly, weather influences behaviour, and it is plausible that the likelihood of people contacting camels depends on environmental conditions. Seasonal or meteorological patterns of primary MERS-CoV infections have yet to be explored.

Map of Saudi Arabia with the largest city in each province by population (closed circle), and nearest weather station (open circle). The map was created using Tableau Desktop 10.5 using built-in base maps

MERS is a global public health threat that causes severe respiratory disease with a high case fatality ratio, identified by WHO as a priority pathogen for research and development in public health emergency contexts [29]. It is primarily characterized by healthcare-associated outbreaks triggered by index cases who acquire infection from dromedary camels and possibly from unidentified asymptomatic human carriers. Improving our understanding of the epidemiology and risks of primary cases of MERS is vital for designing effective interventions that aim to reduce these index cases and prevent subsequent outbreaks in humans. The list of cases maintained by the WHO was restricted to a subset of primary cases based on explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria and was used to analyze the effect of weather on case occurrence using a case-crossover design. All four weather variables demonstrated statistically significant correlations within the incubation period for MERS in humans. The statistically significant time lags for each variable do not match up perfectly, which is to be expected and could be due to a number of reasons including natural variability in incubation periods, variable impact of weather on transmission, the interaction of unmeasured cofactors on weather variables as well the direct effect of unmeasured factors on transmission, and stochasticity in general.

Geographical case data were available only at the provincial level, while exposure data from the weather station closest to the largest metropolitan city in each province were used. While camel raising in the Middle East is moving from extensive to intensive production systems and concentrating around cities [40], human spillover cases would be scattered throughout the provinces to an unknown degree. Therefore, if environmental conditions differ significantly within a province, this could be a source of misclassification bias.

The risk of primary human cases of MERS was associated with a decrease in temperature and humidity, and an increase in ground visibility. The temperature and humidity findings are consistent with associations between the environment and other respiratory diseases. Further study of weather and seasonal risk factors may strengthen the evidence for an environmental component of MERS-CoV transmission. A better understanding of virus viability in different environmental conditions is also a key research need. Evidence of environmental risk factors for MERS could be utilized by public or One Health practitioners for targeted interventions during higher-risk periods. The risk of MERS acquired from zoonotic transmission, or from asymptomatic carriers in the community, appears to be sensitive to weather conditions, providing key initial evidence of an environmental component for the development of primary MERS-CoV infections.

Europe has arguably had the most interesting weather pattern anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere in the first days of 2019, resulting in feet of snow and coastal flooding, high winds and blowing dust in parts of Europe and the Middle East.

The system then took a sharp nosedive into eastern Europe, driving moist cold air into the higher elevations and wringing out prolific mountain snow over parts of the Alps and other mountain ranges of eastern and southern Europe.

Brown told weather.com another 2 to 3 meters - roughly 6.5 to 10 feet - of snow was expected over parts of the Austrian and Swiss Alps through Tuesday, worsening the concern for avalanches and communities to be cut off due to the sheer volume of snow.

Heavy snow also triggered travel headaches in Greece, snarling travel through the mountains in northern and central Greece, blanketing Thessaloniki. Snow was even expected in Athens Monday into Tuesday, leading to the shutdown of schools, the Greek Reporter said.Snow in Istanbul, Turkey, delayed flights Friday and Monday. Much heavier snow fell over mountain locations of central and eastern Turkey, burying parking lots in the city of Bitlis.

Floodwaters tore through makeshift tents housing Syrian refugees in the Bekaa Valley. The U.N. refugee agency estimated 11,000 refugees in 151 settlements were affected by flooding, heavy snow or cold weather, the Associated Press Reported.

The climate in this area of the world is fairly consistent throughout the year with little variation, and the weather in the Middle East is easy to describe: hot and dry. Summers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other popular tourist cities can reach temperatures of 120F (49C) and the blazing sun makes it undesirable to spend much time outdoors. The hottest months are July and August, with late summer being especially humid.

In the winters (January and February), the weather in the United Arab Emirates and surrounding countries is slightly cooler, with temperatures averaging 50-57F (10-14C). Rainfall is negligible in all seasons of the Middle East, as the region is nearly all desert. The only real winters in the Middle East happen in the mountainous regions of Saudi Arabia, where temperatures can reach freezing. The best time to visit the Middle East is in the spring (April and May) when temperatures are pleasant and not excessively hot or humid. 006ab0faaa