Omanis take pictures on the beach as high waves break along the shore in the southern city of Salalah on May 24, 2018 as the country prepares for landfall of Cyclone Mekunu. AFP / Mohammed Mahjoub
MUSCAT: Oman's General Authority for Civil Aviation has said that the Salalah International Airport would cease operations on Friday due to the approach of a powerful cyclone.
In a statement, the authority said the airport would close at midnight Thursday for a 24-hour period, which, it said, could be extended further depending on climatic developments.
Earlier Thursday, satellite imaging revealed a powerful cyclone -- dubbed "Cyclone Mekunu” -- about 400 kilometers from Salalah, which is located in southern Oman.
The airport will reopen once all risks to aviation have been eliminated, the authority said.
Salalah Airport is an international airport located on Oman’s coastal plain roughly five kilometers northeast of Salalah city.
UPDATE: From an Associate Press update we published earlier
Cyclone Mekunu roared over the Yemeni island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea on its way to Oman on Thursday, sending torrents of water rushing down streets and sinking at least two ships. At least 17 people were reported missing in the powerful storm.
Indian meteorologists expected the "very severe" cyclone to strike Oman on Saturday near Salalah, the sultanate's third-largest city and home to some 200,000 people near the country's border with Yemen.
Mekunu's sustained winds reached 155 kph (96 mph), with gusts reaching 175 kph (109 mph), India said.Yemen's pro-government SABA news agency reported that 17 people were missing after two ships capsized in the storm and three vehicles washed away. It said Yemen's government, exiled in Saudi Arabia, had declared Socotra a "disaster" zone after the storm.
Soaking wet residents attempted to find shelter from the storm, which brought heavy rain, flooding and mudslides.
