The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has warned of potential flash flooding caused by tropical cyclone Shaheen.
Cyclone Shaheen was approaching Oman’s capital of Muscat on Sunday with wind speeds of up to 116 kilometres (72 miles) per hour, according to the nation’s civil aviation authority. It is expected to strengthen into a category 1 tropical cyclone, the authority said.
The state-run Oman News Agency said a child died due to flooding and another person was missing.
The centre of the storm will probably land on Oman’s northern coast, close to the industrial port city of Sohar, according to the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.
The cyclone is forecast to cause wind speeds of around 30 knots (35 miles an hour) at the key UAE oil-export and storage hub of Fujairah, said the port’s harbor master. This is within a normal range and shippers have not been advised to change their plans, but officials will alter their guidance if conditions worsen, he said.
In a statement, NCM said: “By Sunday afternoon and evening, some regions of the country will be affected by the extension of the tropical situation, especially the eastern regions, which include the Al Ain region 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-lying areas.
“The winds will be fresh to strong, causing rising dust and sand, which reduce horizontal visibility, especially with convective clouds activity.
“The sea state in the Oman Sea will become rough to very rough, which will cause the seawater to enter into the eastern coastal areas in the low-lying areas, and the sea will be rough at times northward in the Arabian Gulf.”
The Omani government declared a public holiday on Sunday and Monday “due to the adverse climate conditions,” Oman News Agency said in a statement, while flights to and from Muscat were suspended.
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