Weather set to settle in Northern Emirates

Seas off the Northern Emirates remained rough yesterday, with waves reaching 15ft in places, but Sharjah Airport's meteorological office expects the weather to settle from today. The barges and ships swept on to Sharjah corniche last week continued to attract curious passers-by. In Al Hamriya, the Al Hafar 2 barge that ran aground near the Nujoom project remained stuck on the sands. Two workers were rescued after it hit rough seas. The bad weather has affected fish stocks in most markets in the Northern Emirates. Abdul Rahman Al Tunaiji, a fisherman in Ajman, said the government should provide large refrigerators where catches can be stored in case of shortages. "Every spring season there are problems with catches, the authorities know that there are not enough refrigerators to keep fish to ensure good supply on scarce days," he said. Abdul Rahman Al Ali, a fisherman in Sharjah, said his boat had stayed in port for more than a week, affecting his income. "Everyone is affected once the seas are rough. Our clients complain they can't keep expensive fish on the menu, yet we also complain that our daily income work stops," he said.