New UAE website to track cyclones across the world

A new online portal that offers real-time data on weather conditions across the UAE and track tropical cyclones in other parts of the world has been launched by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).

The Albahar.ncm.ae website will also provide users with updated satellite and radar images every 15 minutes.

NCM already had a website with real-time weather forecast, however, this one is more user-friendly and has advanced features, including live tracking of tropical cyclones and gives live data from the observations of the coastal marine weather stations.

Dr Abdullah Al Mandous, the director of NCM, said: "The National Center of Meteorology launched the portal http://albahar.ncm.ae , which delivers different types of services related to the state of the sea and its warnings. The portal has been launched in both Arabic and English languages and provides the information on the state of the sea for the upcoming five-day numerical model maps including wind, wave height and direction, and sea temperature, as well as the general marine forecast for the upcoming three-day state of the sea in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. It provides statistical information from numerical models in form of tables and graphs showing wave height, speed and direction of wind, heat and humidity, in addition to the tides and the movement of the sun and the moon."

He added that the website includes other real-time data, such as observations of costal marine weather stations, weather buoys and costal automatic weather station.

It will be able to track tropical cyclones all over the world through regional meteorological centres, as well as offer video reports on previous cyclones.

The portal will also present a "weather warning map", which shows the locations and timings of the harsh weather conditions.

Earlier this year in May, the powerful Cyclone Mekanu hit Yemen and parts of Oman, which killed a number of people and caused more than 30 people to go missing. After reaching Oman, there was hysteria that the cyclone could hit UAE next, however, it had weakened after making landfall in Oman and did not reach the UAE.

sarwat@khaleejtimes.com