Dubai/Muscat: The weather bureau has warned of southeasternly winds and rough sea in the Strait of Hormuz and northern Oman Sea as Tropical Storm Ashobaa moves closer to the southeastern part of Oman to make a landfall on Thursday morning.
Cyclone Ashobaa is expected to make landfall in the South Sharqiyah governorate early Thursday morning. Satellite images indicate that the cyclone is moving towards South Sharqiyah between Ras Al Had and Masirah Island in the coming hours.
The General Directoraye of Meteorology said on Wednesday evening that Ashobaa was approximately 220km from South Sharqiyah’s coast.
Heavy rainfall, strong winds expected
The surface wind speed around the eye of the cyclone is estimated to 25 to 45 knots, with a speed of 62 to 82 kmp, says the statement.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds will affect the south and north Sharqiyah area, Muscat, Dhakliyah and South Batinah governorates.
Seas are expected to become very rough in the coming hours, with waves reaching up to seven metres in height. The Public Authority for Civil Aviation is strongly advising nationals and residents to stay away from wadis and the sea during the storm.
Wave height offshore in Oman Sea could reach up a minimum of 3ft with a maximum of 5ft to 7ft on Wednesday and may be sustained on Thursday. Southeasterly winds will reach a maximum speed of 22 knots.
Al Nahda hospital in Muscat has evacuated all of its patients to Khoulah hospital as a precautionary measure.
Last year, at least 95 patients were evacuated when the hospital flooded due to heavy rainfall.
On Wednesday afternoon, some areas of South Sharqiyah experienced light rainfall. Elevated sea levels flooded the coastal road in Tiwi, in the Sur province, forcing it to close.
The Ministry of Education has postponed all exams for secondary school students to next week due to the approaching cyclone.
A number of schools have been listed nationwide, to act as makeshift shelters for any residents affected by the storm.
Some colleges in Muscat announced they will be closed on Thursday.
The Ministry of Social Development allocated a number of relief areas around various parts of Muscat.
The Muscat Municipality says its fully prepared for the storm and has already set up an emergency plan and a 24-hour call centre to accommodate residents’ needs.
Residents and nationals rushed to stock up on food items on Wednesday, fearing a shortage of food and water due to the storm.
Musalam Al Hooti, a Muscat resident, told Gulf News that he bought enough food and water for his family.
“When the Gonu cyclone struck Oman in 2007 we did not have enough food and water and we were trapped in the house for more than two days,” he said.
Grocery stores and petrol stations often experience chaotic queues as people flood in to stock up on essentials.
An official at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry assured Gulf News that there was enough food and fuel to meet the needs of the people in the coming days.
As a precautionary measure to avoid flooding, Omani authorities have emptied water from the Wadi Diqah dam, the biggest in Oman.
At least 70 people were killed between Cyclone Gonu in June 2007 and Phet in June 2010.
Eastern UAE
The NCMS earlier warned that the UAE may not be directly affected by Ashobaa as its current trajectory shows it will make a landfall in Oman and head westward, with the centre of the storm missing the UAE.
Towering clouds or clouds associated with rain are expected to form in the eastern part of the country, particularly the Fujairah side.
NCMS will keep monitoring this weather pattern, as such cases may change with high uncertainty.
Follow Cyclone Ashooba LIVE here
Mist or fog may form over coastal and internal areas of UAE on Wednesday.
Fog over Liwa reduced visibility to 50 metres at 6am on Tuesday. Mist was also reported in Fujairah and Sweihan.
The centre of the storm was spotted near latitude 20.3N and longitude 64.6 E about 570km from Sur, a coastal city in northeastern Oman and 730km from Muscat, with surface wind speed between 60–80km/h.
“Until now the tropical storm is classified as a storm and not a hurricane. We expect that the eastern part of the UAE may be indirectly affected but only offshore on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Wave heights may increase ranging between 6ft and 8 ft,” a forecaster told Gulf News.
Ashobaa formed on Sunday, and the General Directorate of Meteorology of Oman has issued a warning that it will be heading towards Oman in the coming 24 hours.
The satellite images indicate that the cyclonic storm is moving to the centre of the Arabian Sea and is moving closer to the coasts of South Sharqiyah governorate.
The wind speed around the eye of the cyclone is estimated to be between 35 to 45 knots.
The meteorology department said that the latest weather maps indicate that Ashobaa will hit the coasts of South Sharqiyah on Thursday morning.
The storm will be accompanied with heavy rainfall and strong winds in South and North Sharqiyah, Muscat, Dhakliyah and South Batinah governorates.
Moreover, the maximum height of waves will be between three to six metres. The meteorology department also pointed out Ashobaa will weaken once it hits land.
