Inside the UAE's state-of-the-art weather room

Ever wondered how you get all those weather updates on your phone after a quick Google search? Well, Khaleej Times spent a day at the National Center for Metrology and Seismology (NCMS) and met the dedicated team of weather forecasters, who, from the looks of it, never sleep.
Lights never go off at the Center for Forecast Operation (CFO), the nerve centre of the National Center for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) from where weather is monitored and predicted.
"Our main target is to alert people and save lives and property," says Khaled Alobeidly, head of the CFO.
The weather prediction room has large screens perched on the wall constantly beaming satellite images, radar pictures and reports from various weather stations.

"It is a high-pressure job. We are dealing with reams and reams of data, satellite images and figures. If our reading goes even slightly wrong or if we are delayed by a few minutes to issue a warning, that can cost lives."
You will find forecasters glued 24/7 to their computer screens, deciphering complex data on air pressure, wind movement and cloud density among many other elements that dictate the day's weather. Forecasters work on two 12-hour shifts: from 7.30am to 7.30pm and then from 7.30pm to 7.30am.
The day's action starts at 7.30am, when staff from the first shift takes over the mantle from the second shift.
There is a meeting where data and observations are exchanged between the teams.
"At any given point, there will be two forecasters and two assistant forecasters manning the
centre to monitor and predict weather," said Khalid Al Obeidly, head of the CFO.
"The first team writes down all the observations they have made on a board so that the next team can take off from there," said Al Obeidly. The forecasting team is also assisted by a 24/7 IT support team to smoothen any technical glitches that can impede monitoring.
- anjana@khaleejtimes.com