iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
As a thermostatic shower mixer, Jaquar Qloud offers perfect regulation over temperature, water flow volume, and shower mode selection
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Should UAE residents worry about earthquakes in Iran?
Tremors, aftershocks are often felt in the northern parts of the country
Representative Photo
UAE residents have reported multiple tremors over the last few weeks due to a string of earthquakes in Iran. According to the NCM, as many as earthquakes hit southern Iran on Saturday, ranging from a magnitude of 4.2 to 6.3 on the Richter scale. People reported aftershocks as well after the earthquake.
In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Khalifa Alebri, Head of the Tsunami Early Warning Centre at the UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), said the UAE residents should not worry about earthquakes because buildings in the country apply global seismic codes.
“The UAE applies seismic design code for buildings as part of disaster risk reduction policy against natural hazards. All the buildings in the country apply these design codes which is one of the requirement for getting the building permissions. Hence, we should not worry about these earthquakes,” he said. He added that people in the northern part of the country such as Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah are used to feeling tremors since they are close to the south of Iran, which is the centre of most of the country's quakes. “In Abu Dhabi, people feel tremors once in a year or two and its intensity is also very low,” he said.
Khalifa Alebri said that earthquakes do not strike at any specific time or in any specific season of the year.
“There is no season for earthquakes. Technology has not reached that level to predict earthquakes. It can happen any time of the year.”
The Earth is made up of a series of pieces, or tectonic plates, that move slowly over time. A convergent boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move towards each other, such as Arabian plate colliding with Eurasian plate along Zagros mountain in the southern parts of Iran. Earthquakes are common along these boundaries.
“Earthquakes mostly happen along plate boundaries, therefore, UAE is safe from extreme earthquakes. The UAE residents mostly feel tremors due to earthquakes in the south of Iran. The UAE has a small fault line in the northeastern part of the country, usually generating 2.0 or 3.0 magnitude earthquakes, which are not harmful." He added that people feel these earthquakes only "slightly".
Right behaviour during an earthquake
Khalifa Alebri urged people to educate themselves about earthquakes as this will help them overcome their fear.
He added that in areas where tremors are felt regularly, people know how to behave due to their knowledge and awareness.
“The right behaviour is important before, during and after the earthquake. We should increase the knowledge about earthquakes so that we can recognise their intensity and not be afraid of them.”
He added that management of the buildings can advise tenants whether to stay indoors or step out in open areas during seismic activity.
ALSO READ:
More news from
The England star smashed nine sixes and eight fours in his 48-ball 108 as the Kings eclipsed the previous record set by South Africa who overhauled a target of 258 by the West Indies in 2023
Fatima was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, a condition where the body's immune system attacks liver cells
The announcement follows a difficult spell for the royal family after both Charles and his daughter-in-law Catherine, revealed that they had cancer
It reiterated that pilgrims require a Haj visa and it can be obtained through recognised official channels
The 18-year-old was taken to hospital in a serious condition
The brothers, who say they are innocent, are accused of having formed an organised criminal network in early 2021 in Romania, as well as in the US and Britain
The left-handed batter scored 3369 runs in 136 one-day internationals and 2893 in 140 Twenty20 internationals — both Pakistan records
