Arabian Sea Cyclone moving towards Oman

KARACHI: A tropical cyclone formed in Arabian Sea has been over 1000 kilometers distance from Karachi and the situation will become clear in next 48 hours, the meteorological department said.

Pakistan Meteorological Department had earlier informed that “A strong low pressure area has formed over the southeast Arabian Sea, about 1350km southeast of Oman and at about 1400km south of Karachi.”

The forecasters have said now that a tropical cyclone has formed in the Arabian Sea off Oman.

The India Meteorological Department said Monday the storm was some 1,040 kilometers (645 miles) east-southeast of Salalah, Oman, moving around 20 kph (12.5 mph).

Weather pundits warn it could develop into a severe cyclonic storm with winds gusting to 135 kph (83 mph). They still aren’t sure where it will make landfall.

A northwesterly movement of the weather system will put the Arabian Peninsula at risk, with areas from eastern Yemen through Oman potentially dealing with damaging winds, flooding rainfall and mudslides.

These impacts could be felt as early as Wednesday, though the worst conditions may hold off until late in the week.

Locations across southern Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates should monitor this developing tropical cyclone closely as well.

A track more toward the north may spare the Arabian Peninsula or deal a blow to Oman before bringing the cyclonic impacts to Pakistan and far southeastern Iran while a westerly track would out coastal areas from western Oman into Yemen as risk.

Forecasters named the storm Cyclone Luban, or “frankincense” in Arabic. Oman offered the name to authorities, as the aromatic resin used for perfumes and incense is grown on trees in the sultanate.

A tropical cyclone is called a hurricane or a typhoon in other parts of the world.

Tropical cyclones are given names to facilitate easy communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts and warnings and countries in the region affected get their turn on a rotational basis.

The North Indian Ocean region tropical cyclones are being named since October 2004. The region, comprising Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The names given by the countries are used alphabetically one after the another.