Oman suspends flights, UAE on high alert as cyclone approaches

Oman has suspended flights to and from Muscat airport and the United Arab Emirates said it was on "high alert” as a storm neared the countries’ coastlines.

Cyclone Shaheen was 60 kilometers (37 miles) off Oman’s capital of Muscat on Sunday morning, approaching with wind speeds of up to 116 kilometers per hour, according to the nation’s civil aviation authority. It is expected to strengthen into a category 1 tropical cyclone, the authority said.

The storm will probably land on Oman’s northern coast, close to the industrial port city of Sohar, according to the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

#عاجل

قطع الحركة في شوارع محافظة مسقط عدا طريق مسقط السريع وسوف يسمح لحركة الحالات الطارئة والإنسانية إلى حين مرور الإعصار (شاهين) وانتهاء تأثيراته على محافظة مسقط لتزايد الحركة غير الضرورية وتحركات المركبات والأفراد وما يسببه من حالات احتجاز للمركبات.

#العمانية pic.twitter.com/PhnrFOy4VH

— وكالة الأنباء العمانية (@OmanNewsAgency) October 3, 2021

The cyclone is forecast to cause wind speeds of around 30 knots (35 miles an hour) at the key UAE oil-export and storage hub of Fujairah, said the port’s harbor master. This is within a normal range and shippers have not been advised to change their plans, but officials will alter their guidance if conditions worsen, he said.

The Omani government declared a public holiday on Sunday and Monday "due to the adverse climate conditions,” State-run Oman News Agency said in a statement, and the airports authority said flights would be rescheduled.

Some regions of the UAE on the Arabian Sea coastline will be affected from Sunday until Tuesday, according to the nation’s National, Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority. 

"Authorities are on high alert to deal with the upcoming situation, and take all proactive and preventive measures to mitigate its impact,” a spokesperson said at a media briefing on Saturday.