Muscat – The tropical cyclone Mekunu is expected to hit parts of Oman on Friday, especially the region of Salalah, the country’s main tourism destination.
The disaster management authorities have already activated the level of its alertness ahead of the cyclone. The National Centre for Multi-Hazard Early Warning issued a statement on tropical storm turning into a Category 1 tropical cyclone - Mekunu.
It said that the epicentre of the cyclone is about 570 km from the city of Salalah, while the nearest block of convective clouds is 80 km from the coast.
The wind speed around the centre is estimated at 65 to 75 knots (117- 135 km/hour). Rough seas have been predicted along the coasts of Dhofar and Al Wusta with wave heights ranging from 5 to 8 metres, while along the Sharqiyah coast, the wave height will be around 3 to 4 metres.
The tropical cyclone which will hit the coasts of Dhofar and Al Wusta governorates is likely to be accompanied by heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds on Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has called on citizens and residents of the two governorates not to over-buy as all materials will be made available for them. The ministry said fuel distribution companies will continuously provide necessary supplies at all stations in the two governorates.