Daily UAE weather forecasts now on YouTube

The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology has officially launched its YouTube channel specialising in broadcasting weather bulletins and programmes with the aim to reach a wider audience.

UAE Weather is the first meteorology channel in the GCC providing daily weather forecasts and weekly programmes in Arabic.

The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology has officially launched its YouTube channel "UAE Weather" specialising in broadcasting weather bulletins and programmes with the aim to reach a wider audience.

YouTube.com/UAEWeather is the first meteorology channel in the GCC providing daily weather forecasts and weekly programmes in Arabic.

The bulletins, which range between three and five minutes, cover the weather broadcast in detail, relaying reports on temperature, humidity, ocean conditions and more.

The channel also includes programmes such as Safar, which showcases the best travel and tourism spots inside and outside the country during different seasons.

Launched last week, the channel has received about 20,000 views. Its daily weather broadcast generated about 500 views at the time of writing.

The idea behind the channel was to provide an accessible avenue for members of the public to be informed on weather in the UAE.

According to a spokesman at the NCMS, this was particularity important during times when rumours or false information were spread about the UAE.

Through empirical evidence and equipment installed across the Emirates, the centre is able to generate accurate data that is available for public scrutiny and international organisations looking into the region.

Dr Abdullah Al Mandoos, executive director of the centre, said: “The launch of the channel came in line with the vision of the wise leadership in establishing the foundations of e-government, and to facilitate the arrival of meteorological services in the easiest and fastest route available.”

He said the channel was the first step in creating a specialised programme in weather and climate affairs, adding that the channel would exclusively publish the weather bulletin through electronic media platforms.

Dr Al Mandoos said the channel connected sources of meteorological and seismic information to prevent rumours that were circulating on social-networking sites.

He said the accurate information provided by the centre should not be tampered with as it affected the daily life of every individual.

Dr Al Mandoos pointed out that the channel would target all the areas inside and outside the country, indicating that the number of daily visitors to their website reached 50,000 and increased to up to 2 million during days of extreme weather conditions.

He said the weather forecasters were the core of the channel, providing official daily weather forecasts sourced from meteorological and seismic information.

With the combination of the latest in technology and the best in expertise, information on weather conditions becomes efficient and reliable, he said.

Omar Al Yazeedi, director of the research, development and training department, said the centre was working to monitor changes in the atmosphere and the Earth’s crust and exchange this information and data regionally and internationally.