Customers checking out room heaters at a supermarket yesterday. (Salim Matramkot)

Doha • Major shops have begun importing large stocks of room heaters to tackle any shortages this winter.

The mercury had dipped to record levels in January this year, with incessant rains turning the weather bitingly chilly. As a result, the demand for room heaters in the local market had gone up substantially.

This had led to an acute shortage, prompting people to buy the heaters from neighbouring countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Shopkeepers told this newspaper yesterday they expected the chill to be equally biting this winter, so they ordered large stocks of heaters.

“We don't want to be caught unawares this year,” a shopkeeper said.

A great sales opportunity was lost last year as, by the time some shops thought of importing room heaters, the chill and the rains had vanished.

Room heaters are of different types. The ordinary ones fitted with coils are available for as much as QR40, while the oil heaters which are equipped with thermostat are sold for as high as QR400.

The weather too has started changing and it’s getting colder as days pass.