Oman expects tropical storm Shaheen to intensify

Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority said on Friday that tropical storm Shaheen was expected to intensify into a category 1 tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours and directly impact coastal areas including the capital Muscat from Sunday.

“The center of the storm is about 650 kilometer away from Muscat Governorate and the closest convective clouds band associated with the storm is about 500 kilometer away,” the authority said in a statement on Twitter.

Shaheen continues to move towards the coastal areas from north Muscat and the governorate of Al Batinah, both of which it is expected to directly impact on Sunday, including strong winds and heavy rain causing severe flash floods.

Rough seas are expected starting from Saturday evening between south Al-Sharqiya to Musandam with waves reaching heights of 8 to 12 meters, the Civil Aviation Authority said.

The public was advised to take precautions, keep away from low lying areas and avoid crossing wadis, or valleys.