Heavy rains lash Oman as police warn residents to avoid wadis

Thunderstorms are set to brush throughout Oman over the subsequent few days bringing torrential rain, excessive winds and dirt storms.

Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority on Monday warned that some areas might expertise 80 millimetres of rain in simply 24 hours.

Residents have been warned to keep away from wadis, desist from swimming and train warning on the roads.

“Because of the anticipated heavy thunderstorms which might be prone to fall … which in some areas could vary from 20 to 80mm inside 24 hours, the Civil Aviation Authority advises all to take precautions throughout rainfall and test the ocean state report earlier than crusing,” it mentioned on Monday, in an alert carried by Oman Meteorology, the nation’s climate bureau.

Authorities forecast thunderstorms throughout the Hajar Mountains and in “adjoining areas” equivalent to Buraimi, Batinah, Al Dhahirah and Al Dakhiliyah. In addition they warned of flash floods, hail, mud storms that reduce visibility and waves of as much as 4 metres within the Arabian Sea.

Extra of the identical is anticipated on Tuesday and Wednesday because the low stress methods roll in from India.

Native media additionally reported the Royal Oman Police warned folks to avoid valleys which might be vulnerable to flooding and instructed motorists to not danger crossing valleys and to depart a enough distance between autos whereas driving within the rain.

The power reported on June 29 that it had detained a person in Jebel Akhdar who it mentioned drove by means of a flooded wadi.

Footage posted to social media by the power exhibits the person’s SUV caught in surging floodwaters.

The low stress methods drift throughout the ocean from India, which is presently experiencing the monsoon.

A few of these methods additionally trigger the phenomenon often called ‘khareef”, which sees elements of southern Oman flip inexperienced from a interval of sustained rainfall.

Khareef begins in mid-June and ends sometimes across the finish of August.

The UAE, in the meantime, might additionally expertise some mild rain over the subsequent few days.

The Nationwide Centre of Meteorology on Monday mentioned there was an opportunity of showers all through the week, mainly in japanese areas of the nation.

“[It will be] partly cloudy to cloudy at instances, particularly eastward [and it] is likely to be convective by afternoon with a likelihood of sunshine rainfall, the NCM forecast for Tuesday.

Up to date: July 04, 2022, 12:28 PM