Classes to be conducted remotely tomorrow in Qatar, employees to work remotely due to weather conditions

Several parts of Gulf region experiencing heavy rains in the past two days

NT Bureau

Doha: The Council of Ministers General-Secretariat announced that it was decided to adopt remote work on Tuesday for all employees in all ministries, government agencies, public bodies, and institutions, given the exceptional weather conditions that the country is expected to witness in the coming hours.

In a statement on Monday, the Council of Ministers General-Secretariat indicated that employees of the military, security, and health sectors are excluded from this decision, as well as employees whose work nature requires them to be present at the workplace.

The Council of Ministers General-Secretariat urged citizens and residents to take information from reliable sources and follow security and safety instructions issued by the official authorities in the country.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar (MoEHE) announced that all classes tomorrow, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, will be distance learning for government schools through the Qatar Education System and for private schools through each school’s educational platforms. 

The Ministry said the decision came in light of the updates issued today by the Meteorological Department of the General Authority of Civil Aviation regarding the expectation of thunderstorms, and is in line with the Ministry’s interest for the safety of students while ensuring the continuation of the educational process. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the Ministry of Labour have urged the public to take all necessary precautions for safety due to expected rainfall and strong winds in the country.

In a social media message, the MoI has especially asked people and fishermen not to venture into the sea and avoid activities in coastal areas.

“Due to the expected heavy rainfall and strong winds, we urge participants in water and land activities to cancel all activities at sea and in coastal areas for everyone’s safety,” the MoI said on social media.

Similarly, the Ministry of Labour, too, issued a message on social media urging employers to exercise caution and adhere to occupational health and safety guidelines, as well as provide protective measures to safeguard workers in the workplace. 

“The Ministry of Labour urges employers to exercise caution during the expected exceptional weather conditions, to follow occupational health and safety guidelines, and to provide necessary protective measures to safeguard workers in the workplace,” the Ministry of Labour said.

Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD) has issued a weather forecast that the country is expected to experience cloudy weather followed by moderate to heavy rains. This weather condition is likely to start on Monday and persist until Wednesday.

The wind speed is expected to exceed 50 knots and weather bureau also has predicted hail. “Sea state will be rough where the sea waves ranging between 10-12ft rising to 16ft at times,” QMD said.

Several parts of the Gulf region have been experiencing heavy rainfall in the past two days.

Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in Oman, killing at least 17 people as rescuers searched for survivors. In one incident, a group of school children and a driver died when their vehicle was overtaken, authorities said.

In the UAE, the authorities warned people to expect heavy rain Monday night and into Tuesday morning. The Emirates’ National Center of Meteorology warned of thunder, lightning, rain and possibly hail, with winds reaching up to 70 kph.