Abu Dhabi: The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) has urged the public not to visit beaches and valleys during the upcoming period.
“As a precautionary measure and to ensure the safety of everyone, it is prohibited for the public to visit beaches, valleys and lowlands during the upcoming weather conditions,” the NCEMA team said in an emergency media briefing held ahead of the cyclone Shaheen.
The NCEMA said it is considering moving to distance learning instead of the face to face system in schools and universities depending on the weather conditions in each emirate.
The NCEMA called on the public to exercise caution in such weather conditions, to stay away from valleys and dams and to take information from official sources only.
It also urged those residing in the eastern coastal areas, to follow all procedures and measures as announced by the concerned authorities at the local level.
“Based on the continuous follow-up and real-time monitoring of weather conditions in the country, and thanks to the readiness of all state agencies and the constant communication between them, all effects will be dealt with quickly and professionally,” the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said adding that preserving the safety of people and property is a top priority.
The centre emphasized that it is monitoring the tropical situation around the clock, calling on the public to follow the bulletins and reports issued by the center, and adhere to the instructions and warnings made by competent authorities.
“The tropical cyclone "Shaheen" was centered northwest of the Arabian Sea at latitude 24.3 north and longitude 60.9 east, accompanied by various formations of clouds interspersed with cumulus rain clouds of different intensity and strong winds on the Arabian Sea with a speed around the center ranging from 116 to 140 km/hr,” the centre said.
“The rain will lead to the flow of valleys, and water will gather in some lowlands. The winds will be active to strong, causing dust, which will reduce horizontal visibility. The cumulus clouds might be accompanied by lightning and thunder sometimes,” it added.
“The technical team of the Center is working in full swing around the clock to analyze data and make carefully studied forecasts to share it with other concerned authorities so as to take the necessary precautions and effectively deal with any possible effects on the country,” NCM said.
According to NCM's latest forecasts, the movement of Tropical Cyclone Shaheen will continue towards the coasts of the Sultanate of Oman during the next 24 hours, and that by Sunday afternoon and evening October 3, some regions of the country will be affected by the extension of the tropical situation, especially the eastern regions, which include the Al Ain and the southern regions and extending towards some central regions, where convective clouds will increase, associated with rains of different intensity that lead to the flash flooding in the valleys and torrents and water will accumulate over some low areas.
Earlier today, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster team held its second meeting to discuss the latest updates on the tropical cyclone "Shaheen".
The meeting, organised by NCEMA, was attended by representatives from the Interior Ministry, the National Centre of Meteorology and local police departments.
The team members reviewed a proposed set of precautionary measures to tackle any possible cyclone impact on the country, particularly in the eastern areas overlooking the Sea of Oman, and the pre-emptive measures to ensure public safety and business continuity in the affected areas.
The participants also emphasised securing critical infrastructure in coordination with the partners, including police departments and the Emirates Red Crescent.
