Heat wave to affect local fish production
Humidity to continue throughout the weekend
Temperatures in Kuwait reached 54 degrees Celsius last week, setting a record for the hottest day ever, according to several reports. The blistering temperature was recorded in Mitribah in Kuwait. The weather was not the only thing that has been affected. Acting Chairman of the Kuwait Fishermen’s Union Jalal Al-Shammari told Kuwait Times that the ‘abnormal’ heat wave that swept Kuwait will affect fish production this summer.
Shammari said large amounts of fish were affected by the high temperatures, especially those that live on the surface of the water. “High temperatures lead to reduced amounts of oxygen that dissolves in the water, which make us lose large amounts of Kuwaiti maid fish, estimated in tons annually,” he said.
About the shrimping season, he said that the heat wave will not affect large fish and shrimp and other species that live on the seabed. “The deeper you go, the more the temperature will drop,” Shammari said. The Kuwait Fishermen Union said the shrimping season in international waters will start on Aug 1, adding that the union took undertakings from license owners and boat skippers to comply with the laws and Amiri decrees.
Yesterday’s weather was relatively hot and humid, especially on coastal areas, according to the Kuwait Meteorological Center. Maximum temperature reached 45 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperatures was 29 degrees Celsius recorded in the morning.
High humidity is expected to continue tomorrow and throughout the weekend, veteran meteorologist Essa Ramadan was quoted yesterday, adding that the temperatures during that period would vary between 40 and 47 degrees Celsius. The hot temperatures are expected to last until the end of August, before they start dropping after the Canopus star appears in the night sky on September 6, Ramadan said. Kuwait reportedly recorded a temperature of 54 C degrees last Thursday; the highest temperature ever recorded in the eastern hemisphere and could be the highest temperature ever recorded on earth.