Tropical storm to hit Oman in next 24 hours

Dubai: A tropical depression in the Arabian Sea has intensified and has moved closer to the Masira Island of Oman during the last six hours.

“Latest satellite imagery and observations with the weather reports from the main regional centres, indicate that a depression which is slowly deepening toward the north and northwest from its original position in the east side of the Arabian Sea during the last six hours.

The Deep Depression currently located on a latitude of 17.5N and 67.5E has formed about 970km of Masirah Island (Oman), with surface wind speed between 50 – 60km/hour,” a weather alert from the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) read as of 12.30pm on Monday.

“It would move north-north-westwards and intensify further during next 24 hrs to a tropical storm,” according to NCMS.

The deep depression, referred to as tropical cyclone 01A by weather centres, formed about 1,230km southeast of Masirah Island on Sunday afternoon.

NCMS said it will keep watching the development of this deep depression, and "will update the concerning news of this case at the right time".

Meanwhile, the weather will continue to be hazy and partly cloudy, with rain clouds forming in the eastern parts of the country.

The temperature over the eastern region will be the lowest at around 34 degrees Celsius and will be highest in the western and southern part of Abu Dhabi at between 46 degrees Celcius and 47 degrees Celcius.