The Earth's atmosphere is unique and dynamic and varies according to various geological, biological, chemical and other factors, said Syed Nadeem Hassan, a meteorologist.
"Climate is generally referred to as the weather of a geographical location with particular characteristics such as temperature, winds, humidity, and rain," Hassan said.
The UAE is one of the frontline countries facing climate issues and has in recent years witnessed dramatic weather events like snowfall in the rugged mountains to the north, extremely chilly winds, very dry winters, dust storms, and longer hot spells. It is generally believed that climate change is altering the seasonal weather patterns of the UAE.
Yousuf Al Kalbani, head of climate and forecasting at the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), however rebuffed these notions. "No there are no indications for climate change concerning this issue." Snowfall was reported in the northern areas of the UAE in December 2004 and again in January 2008 but it was not because of climatic change, he said.
Al Kalbani says it is normal to have snow over mountain peaks rising 1,700 metres above sea level. Such events, no doubt, happened earlier but might have gone unnoticed due to the lack of modern communication technology, he said. Read the full report here.
Source: by Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief, Gulfnews.com.
