Jun 05 2010 |
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Two killed as Phet menaces Oman only to pull away at the last moment
Saturday, Jun 05, 2010
Gulf News
Muscat Two people were reported killed in Oman yesterday amid heavy rain and strong winds induced by tropical storm Phet but the looming threat of a major cyclone hit seemed to have waned by late evening.
Phet weakened as it approached Oman's eastern coast and was downgraded to the category of a tropical storm but heavy rains and strong gales swept across the region and the capital Muscat.
"Phet has been lowered to tropical storm category and is 50 kilometres south off Sur coast at the moment," Ali Al Yarubi, spokesman for the Department of Meteorology in Oman, said on the government-controlled Oman FM radio station.
He added that an Asian man died in Quriyat, to the east of Muscat, after being electrocuted in surging wadi waters.
Meanwhile, driving rain continued in Muscat throughout the evening with the Qurum business district marooned in water.
See also Pages 3, 11 & 21
UAE may experience squalls and showers
The UAE's National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology yesterday forecast conditions ranging from partly cloudy to cloudy for today and tomorrow, especially in the eastern and southern parts of the country. Chances of rain and dusty squalls have not been ruled out.
The forecaster said the storm was moving in the north-easterly direction and seemed headed towards Pakistan. However, he urged residents to be careful since most areas along the eastern coast, besides Muscat, are expected to receive heavy rain over a 24-hour period.
The wet spell in Oman is likely to continue for the next 48 hours and may extend to the north and northwest.
— Aftab Kazmi, Al Ain Bureau Chief
forecast
By Sunil K. Vaidya
© Gulf News 2010. All rights reserved.
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Comments By Our Users (1)
"MUSCAT : Cyclone Phet killed six people in Oman before it barrelled on towards Pakistan, Oman's civil defence force said on Saturday.
The victims included a member of the civil defence force and five other people who were swept away by flood waters caused by rainfall from the cyclone, said a statement carried by the official ONA news agency.
Authorities said Phet had weakened in intensity on Friday before heading at wind speeds of up to 120 km (75 miles) an hour towards Pakistan, where some 60,000 people have been evacuated from the south coast to safer areas.
The Omani authorities had taken several precautionary measures prior to Phet's arrival, evacuating hotels along the east coast and airlifting the residents of Masirah island to safer areas.
In 2007, cyclone Gonu tore through Oman, killing at least 49 people and causing damage worth 3.9 billion dollars. - AFP/jy"
Killed at least 49 people? For clarification, the final numbers tallied to around 2000 people.
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