Oman- DGM to study North Batinah's unprecedented hailstorm

2/24/2016 6:49:25 AM

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat-

The recent hailstorm that hit several parts of North Batinah will be studied by the Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM) due to its sheer scale.

'What happened in North Batinah was very unique...something that has never happened in the governorate's history. The hailstorm was spread over a very large area. The size of hailstones was very big. This region witnesses hailstorm every winter but not on this scale' an official from the directorate general said.

He said that hailstorms are common in several parts of Oman especially regions near the mountains. 'But what happened in North Batinah was for the first time.' The official said that the study will look into two aspects. 'One part will study the areas that received hailstorm. The other aspect will be studying the mechanism that led to the formation of the hailstorm.'

Hail is a form of solid precipitation with balls or irregular lumps of ice. It originates from thunderclouds known as cumulonimbus clouds. The official said that a thunderstorm is often followed by this phenomenon.

'When the existing temperature of a mass of air currents falls down rapidly over decreasing altitude it results in a hailstorm. Hailstones are formed due to the process of freezing and grow over time. They are carried by currents moving in the upward direction until they become large in size for these currents to continue carrying them.

As a result they are carried downwards by the downdraft air currents. We are keen to know about the air temperatures that have an important role to play in the formation of hailstorm and this is one of the aspects we will concentrate in our study' he said.

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