Muscat: The situation in Oman is returning to normal in the wake of tropical storm Ashobaa, with no casualties reported.
Regular power supply was restored after sporadic power outages in some parts of South and North Sharqiyah on Saturday.
Municipal authorities carried out work on Friday to clear all roads affected by the storm.
Traffic movement was returning to normal with all affected roads opening on Saturday.
The Directorate General of Meteorology on Friday evening announced the dissipation of the storm that mostly lashed Oman’s northern regions.
Light to medium rainfall has been forecast for some northern parts of the country.
More than 109 persons were rescued in Sur province by the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance, Royal Oman Police and the Royal Army on Friday.
The rescue operations were necessitated after many areas of Sur were flooded following heavy rainfall on Friday.
All the emergency shelters in South and North Sharqiyah were evacuated on Saturday, as families returned to their homes.
The Ministry of Health announced that Nahda hospital would resume work starting from Saturday, after it had closed due to the cyclone.
The Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) said no complaints had been received from nationals or residents about any increase in the prices of foodstuff in North and South Sharqiyah.
Masirah Island recorded 185 mm of rainfall during the storm, while Sur province recorded 55 mm of rainfall.
Interestingly, the storm unearthed remnants of a railway built in Masirah Island in 1943 to transport supplies to the air base in Masirah. The railway was severely damaged after a cyclone that hit the island in 1977 and later abandoned.
Meanwhile, Gulf News contacted an Emirati family who had a providential escape after their vehicle was swept away in gushing waters in Wadi Bani Khalid last Thursday.
Ahmad Al Ameri said that he was on a sightseeing trip to the wadi along with his family when they were caught unawares by the torrent. “I didn’t think that the wadi could sweep away our vehicle when I took the risk and crossed it,” he said.
Al Ameri thanked the Omani government for rescuing him and his family with their vehicle nearly submerged. “I will not again venture out and cross wadis. Don’t trust and underestimate the power of the wadis as, at any moment, it can take your life or your family,” he said.
As for a child who slipped into the water in Wadi Bani Khalid, the young Emirati is reported to be in stable condition after his ordeal.
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