A view of Beirut. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient Today/File photo)
BEIRUT — "Why is the weather so gloomy?" It's something you perhaps didn't expect to be asking during the peak of summer.
And yet, for the past 10 days, parts of Lebanon have been covered in clouds, with high humidity.
What's happening? L’Orient Today speaks with the head of the Meteorological Service in Lebanon, Marc Wehaïbé, to find out.
“During the last week and a half, the eastern Mediterranean basin has been subject to an upper-level high," that is, a high-pressure system in the upper layers of the atmosphere, says Wehaïbé.
"This has led to high sea surface water temperatures, around 30ºC, creating more and more evaporation over the sea."
“In the early morning, we could see the sun for a few hours as long as there was still a sea breeze. But as the clear sky allows for the sun to shine and heat up the land, the winds shift south-westerly and the sea breeze activates and pushes the moisture from the warm waters towards the land,” he explains.
Cloudy sky over Beirut's Achrafieh neighborhood, Aug. 22, 2023. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient Today)
“At this point, the orographic structure of Lebanon," meaning Lebanon's mountain system, "enters into action," he adds. "In fact, when the moist air masses are pushed against the mountains, water vapor is lifted and cooled, leading to condensation and cloud formation.
"At this point, the sun stays hidden behind the clouds for the rest of the day."
How long will this weather go on?
“It’s weakening right now, so in the coming days we are expecting to see the sun a little bit more, and for the situation to ease up a bit in terms of temperatures,” he says.
However, Wehaïbé advises those who wish to avoid the remaining gloomy weather to head up to mountainous areas that are over 1200m above sea level.
“The clouds hiding the sun in Lebanon are low-level clouds so if you go up the mountains you will see the sun, as the moist and humid layer won't be there. You would be above the clouds."