Saturday, June 21, 2008
Tall stories
It has been brought to my attention that I've been neglecting my blogging duties recently. Naughty me! In fact Julian reckons I've not posted for 6 weeks. I don't think it's quite 6 weeks since 20 May....but why should anyone let fact get in the way of a good story?!
Since I've been in Doha, there have been quite a few scare-mongering emails about weather....and most of them are based on a rather sketchy version of the truth. Last winter there was an email warning of sub-zero temperatures which were already over Saudi and heading our way. The fact that the sub-zero temperatures were recorded over a mountain in Saudi where snow is quite common, should not worry us! We were all going to turn into snowmen. Allegedly.
At least there was an ounce of fact on that though...unlike the most recent one...
Hurricane coming from the Indian Ocean hit the island within the Arabic Peninsula by Tuesday evening (and God knows)
The U.S. Navy expected the arrival of the hurricane to the Sultanate of Oman and then to the Saudi capital Riyadh where it will be at it's most power. The anticipated Hurricane will be directed towards the Arabian Peninsula until it reaches Riyadh and the eastern region, and expectations that the ratio of rain to hit Riyadh 70 mm especially south of it, God willing.
Several points then…
1) Storms in this neck of the woods are called tropical cyclones, not hurricanes.
2) Our adjacent water is called the Arabian Sea, not the Indian Ocean.
3) Tropical storms disintegrate over land, as they get their energy from the warm seas, so it would not intensify as it headed towards Riyhad.
4) The satellite picture looked like this:
Not really looking terribly stormy.
So, a totally fabricated email then, but a popular little one none-the-less. If another 400 hundred people could ask me about it, that would be great. One of my friends (INGA!!!) phoned me not once, not twice, but three times just to check that it hadn't suddenly materialised. I should start charging for personal forecasts!
I have to say that I'm slightly confused as to why someone would go to the effort of making this up in the first place! All I can assume is that some people have too much time on their hands...although clearly not quite enough time to check their facts...
Since I've been in Doha, there have been quite a few scare-mongering emails about weather....and most of them are based on a rather sketchy version of the truth. Last winter there was an email warning of sub-zero temperatures which were already over Saudi and heading our way. The fact that the sub-zero temperatures were recorded over a mountain in Saudi where snow is quite common, should not worry us! We were all going to turn into snowmen. Allegedly.
At least there was an ounce of fact on that though...unlike the most recent one...
Hurricane coming from the Indian Ocean hit the island within the Arabic Peninsula by Tuesday evening (and God knows)
The U.S. Navy expected the arrival of the hurricane to the Sultanate of Oman and then to the Saudi capital Riyadh where it will be at it's most power. The anticipated Hurricane will be directed towards the Arabian Peninsula until it reaches Riyadh and the eastern region, and expectations that the ratio of rain to hit Riyadh 70 mm especially south of it, God willing.
Several points then…
1) Storms in this neck of the woods are called tropical cyclones, not hurricanes.
2) Our adjacent water is called the Arabian Sea, not the Indian Ocean.
3) Tropical storms disintegrate over land, as they get their energy from the warm seas, so it would not intensify as it headed towards Riyhad.
4) The satellite picture looked like this:
Not really looking terribly stormy.
So, a totally fabricated email then, but a popular little one none-the-less. If another 400 hundred people could ask me about it, that would be great. One of my friends (INGA!!!) phoned me not once, not twice, but three times just to check that it hadn't suddenly materialised. I should start charging for personal forecasts!
I have to say that I'm slightly confused as to why someone would go to the effort of making this up in the first place! All I can assume is that some people have too much time on their hands...although clearly not quite enough time to check their facts...
