Thursday 19 / September / 2024
MUSCAT: The summer season is well and truly here! The mercury crossed the 47° Celsius-mark on Monday.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the highest temperature recorded in the country on the day was a sweltering 47°C in Sohar.
Sohar was followed by Liwa (46.8° Celsius), Wadi Al Maawil (46° Celsius), Saham (45.6° Celsius), Shinas (45.5° Celsius) and Suwaiq and Al Amerat recorded 45.5° Celsius on Monday.
When contacted, an official at the CAA said: “These are normal temperatures which Oman records in the months of May, June and July.”
As temperatures continue to rise, health experts in the country have emphasised how keeping up with hygiene, especially hands, can help fight the infections and viruses that are most likely to occur during the summer months.
A senior internist at a private hospital said that the most common types of summer illness are diarrhoea and viral infections during summer months. “Right now, I can’t say that it is on the rise, but the number of patients may increase due to the combination of changes in the weather and poor hygiene.”
“There are also cases of viral infections of the intestines – again because of eating outdoors and not practicing good hygiene, especially hand hygiene. If you do a proper hand wash, 90 percent of diseases can be prevented,” he said.
